THE  LIBRARY 

OF 

THE  UNIVERSITY 

OF  CALIFORNIA 

LOS  ANGELES 


GIFT  OF 

Commodore  Byron  McCandless 


d/-^. 


X 


'O 


THE 


Yellowstone  National  Park 


HISTORICAL  AND  DESCRIPTIVE 


illustrated  with  Maps,  Views  and  Portraits 


BY 

Hiram  Martin  Chittenden 

Captain,  Corps  of  Engineers,  United  States  Army 

Author  of  " American  Fur  Trade  of  the  Far  West," 
** History  of  Steamboat  j\\iviffation  on  the  Missouri  River  "  etc. 


FIFTH  EDITION 

REVISED  AND  ENLARGED 


CINCINNATI 

The  ROBERT  Clarke  Company 
1905 


Copyright,  1895,  by 
HiBAM  Martin  Chittenden. 


Copyright,  1903,  by 
HiBAM  Martin  Chittenden. 


PRESS  OF  the  ROBERT  CLARKE  CO. 
CINCINNATI,  OHIO,  U.  8.  A. 


C4-4c| 
PREFACE.  -0^ 


The  present  edition  of  The  Yellowstone  embraces  a 
thorough  revision  of  the  entire  work.  Part  I.  (historical) 
contains  much  new  matter  on  the  early  history  of  the  Park ; 
additional  information  concerning  its  geographical  names, 
and  a  new  account  of  the  Xez  Perce  campaign  of  1817. 
Part  II  (descriptive)  is  greatly  enlarged  in  the  chapters 
on  topography,  geology,  thermal  springs,  fauna  and  flora, 
roadways  and  administration;  while  the  "Tour  of  the 
Park"  has  been  entirely  recast  to  conform  to  the  completed 
road  system  which  has  opened  up  new  sections  of  the  Park. 
The  illustrations  are  nearly  all  original.  Especial  pains 
has  been  taken  to  make  them  representative  of  the  Park 
scenery  as  a  whole,  and  not  simply  an  album  of  conven- 
tional geyser  and  waterfall  views. 

It  is  extremely  gratifying  to  note,  as  time  goes  on, 
that,  in  every  important  respect,  the  Yellowstone  Park 
has  so  far  fulfilled  the  expectations  of  its  founders  and 
justified  the  wisdom  of  its  creation.  As  a  land  of  wonders 
it  still  remains  without  an  equal  on  the  globe;  as  a  source 
of  great  rivers,  whose  waters  will  be  the  life-blood  of  a 
miglit)'  futui-e  empire,  its  vast  importance  is  beginning  to 
be  realized ;  as  a  refuge  for  the  native  fauna  of  the  coun- 

(iii) 

959653 


IV  PREFACE. 

tr}^,  elsewhere  fast  passing  awav,  it  is  all  that  can  be  rea- 
sonably expected.  Its  growing  favor  with  the  general  pub- 
lic is  evidenced  by  the  increasing  number  of  visitors;  and 
with  the  local  public,  by  the  reduced  frequency  of  poaching 
and  by  the  abandonment  of  efforts  to  introduce  railroads 
or  cut  off  portions  of  its  territory.  There  is  no  longer  any 
reason  to  doubt  that  the  Park  will  maintain  its  integrity 
as  one  of  the  ver}-  few  government  reservations  where  the 
original  conditions  of  nature  are  being  presented  with 
fidelity. 


Table  of  Contents, 


PART    I.— HISTORICAL. 

Page. 

Chapter  I. — "Yellowstone"     1 

Chapter  II. — Indian  Occupancy  of  the  Upper  Yellowstone.       6 

Chapter  III. — John    Colter 15 

Chapter  IV. — The  Trader  and  Trapper 28 

Chapter  V. — Early  Knowledge  of  the  Yellowstone 35 

Chapter  VI. — James  Bridger  and  His  Stories 47 

Chapteis  VII. — Raynolds'   Expedition 56 

Chapter  VIII. — Gold  in  Montana 62 

Chapter  IX. — Discovery    69 

Chapter  X. — The    National    Park    Idea — Its   Origin    and 

Realization   89 

Chapter  XI. — Why  So  Long  Unknown 97 

Chapter  XII. — Later    Explorations 101 

Chapter  XIII.— Administrative  History  of  the  Park 107 

Chapter  XIV. — Geographical    Names    in    the    Yellowstone 

Park    121 

Chapter  XV. — An  Indian  Campaign  Through  the  Yellow- 
stone   Park 142 

Chapter    XVI. — The     Nez    Perces    and    the    Radersburg 

Tourists     152 

Chapter  XVII.— The  Nez  Perces  and  the  Helena  Tourists.    163 
Chapter  XVIII.— Captain  Spurgin  and  His  "Skillets" 110 


Vi  TABLE  OF  CONTEXTS. 

PART  II.— Descriptive. 

Page. 

Chapter  I. — Boundaries  and  Topography 175 

Chapter  II. — Geological  History  of  the  Park 190 

Chapter  III. — Geysers  203 

Chapter  IV. — Hot  Springs  and  Kindred  Features 210 

Chapter  V. — Fauna  of  the  Yellowstone 220 

Chapter  VI. — Flora  of  the  Yellowstone 233 

Chapter  VII.— Forests  of  the  Yellowstone 237 

Chapter  VIIL— The  Flowers  of  the  Park 246 

Chapter  IX. — The  Climate  of  the  Park 257 

Chapter  X. — Roads,  Hotels  and  Transportation  261 

Chapter  XL — Administration  of  the  Park   269 

Chapter  XI I. —A  Tour  of  the  Park — Preliminary 273 

Chapter  XIII. — A    Tour  of  the  Park — North  Boundary  to 

Mammoth  Hot   Springs 277 

Chapter  XIV. — A     Tour     of    the    Park — Mammoth     Hot 

Springs  to  Norris  Geyser  Basin 284 

Chapter  XV. — A  Tour  of  the  Park^Norris  Geyser  Basin 

to  Lower  Geyser  Basin 288 

Chapter  XVL — A  Tour  of  the  Park — Lower  Geyser  Basin 

to  Upper  Geyser  Basin 294 

Chapter  XVIL — A  Tour  of  the  Park — Upper  Geyser  Basin 

to  the  Yellowstone  Lake 301 

Chapter  XVI 1 1. — A  Tour  of  the  Park — Yellowstone  Lake 

to  the  Grand  Caiion  of  the  Yellowstone 314 

Chapter  XIX. — A    Tour    of    the    Park — Grand   Canon  to 

Tower   Falls 323. 


TABLE  OF   COXTENTS.  Vll 

APPENDIX. 

Page. 

Map    Index — Mountain    Ranges,     Peaks,    Buttes,    Ridges, 

Hills    339 

Mountain    Passes 340 

Lakes     • 340 

Streams    341 

Waterfalls    343 

List  of  Prominent  Geysers 343 

Index 347 


List  of  Illustrations. 

Page. 

Great  Falls  of  the  Yellowstone  and  Old  Faithful  Geyser — 

Frontispiece 

Cliff  near  Tower  Falls,  showing  soft  and  yielding  foundation 

under  enormous  load  of  basalt  and  breccia 17 

Teton  Mountains  and  Jackson  Lake 32 

Osprey  Falls,  Middle  Gardiner  River 53 

Ivower  Falls  of  the  Yellowstone — Original  Sketch  by  Private 

Moore,  a  soldier  in  the  escort  of  the  expedition  of  1870 ...  60 

Snow  in  Park  Forests 65 

Forest  Fire  near  Upper  Geyser  Basin 80 

Yellowstone  River  near  Tower  Falls 101 

Mammoth  Hot  Springs  Terraces 108 

Tower  Creek 129 

Beaver  Dam 144 

The  Devjl's  Inkstand 165 

Soda  Butte 172 

The  Travertine  Rocks .    193 

Cone  and  Fountain  Geysers 208 

Bruin  Among  the  Flowers — Posing  for  a  Picture 225 

Group  of  Park  Bridges 240 

Ornamental  Forest  Growths 245 

Northern  Entrance  to  Park 252 


X  LIST  OF  ILLUSTRATIONS. 

Golden  Gate  Viaduct 261 

Orange  Geyser  and  Pulpit  Terrace 268 

Crater  of  Great  Fountain  Geyser 293 

Upper  Geyser  Basin 300 

Giant  Geyser  Cone 305 

Thunderstorm  on  Yellowstone  Lake 309 

Outlet  of  Yellowstone  Lake 316 

Upper  Fall  of  the  Yellowstone 320 

Lower  Falls  of  the  Yellowstone  Through  Rain  Mist 321 

Granite  Boulder  near  Inspiration  Point 325 

Tower  Falls 332 

The  Hoodoos 336 

Sylvan  Lake,  East  Road 344 

Yellowstone  National  Park  (Map) Folder 


THE  YELLOWSTONE  NATIONAL  PARK. 


Part  I.  — Historical. 


CHAPTEE  I. 

'YELLOWSTONE. 


LeAvis  and  Clark  passed  the  first  winter  of  their  famous 
trans-continental  expedition  among  the  ^landan  Indians, 
on  the  Missouri  Eiver,  fifty-six  miles  ahove  the  present 
capital  of  Xorth  Dakota.  When  about  to  resume  their 
JQurney  in  the  spring  of  1805,  they  sent  hack  to  President 
Jefferson  a  report  of  progress  and  a  map  of  the  western 
country  based  upon  information  derived  from  the  Indians. 
In  this  report  and  upon  this  map  appear,  probably  for  the 
first  time  in  any  official  document,  the  words  "Yellow 
Stone"  as  the  name  of  the  principal  trilmtary  of  the  Mis- 
souri. 

It  scorns,  however,  that  Lewis  and  Clark  were  not  tJie  first 
actually  to  use  the  name.  David  Thompson,  the  celebrated 
explorer  and  geographer,  prominently  identified  with  the 
British  fur  trade  in  the  Xorthwest,  was  among  the  Mandan 
Indians  on  the  Missouri  Kiver  from  December  29,  1797,  to 
January  10,  1798.  While  there  he  secured  data,  principally 
from  the  natives,  from  which  he  estimated  the  latitude  and 
longitude  of  the  source  of  the  Yellowstone  River.    In  his 

(1) 


2  THE   YELLOWSTONE   NATIONAL   PARK. 

original  manuscript  journal  and  field  note-books,  contain- 
ing the  record  of  his  determinations,  the  words  "Yellow 
Stone^^  appear  precisely  as  used  by  Lewis  and  Clark  in 
1805.  This  is,  perhaps,  the  first  use  of  the  name  in  its 
Anglicised  form,  and  it  is  certainly  the  first  attempt  to 
determine  accurately  the  geographical  location  of  the 
source  of  the  stream.* 

JSTeither  Thompson  nor  Lewis  and  Clark  were  originators 
of  the  name.  They  gave  us  only  the  English  translation  of 
a  name  already  long  in  use.  "This  river,''  say  Lewis  and 
Clark,  in  their  journal  for  the  day  of  their  arrival  at  the 
mouth  of  the  now  noted  stream,  ''Tiad  been  known  to  the 
French  as  the  Eoche  Jaune,  or,  as  we  have  called  it,  the 
Yellow  Stone.''  The  French  name  was,  in  fact,  already 
firmly  established  among  the  traders  and  trappers  of  the 
Northwest  Fur  Company,  when  Lewis  and  Clark  met  them 
among  the  Mandans.  Even  by  the  members  of  the  expedi- 
tion it  seems  to  have  been  more  generally  used  than  the  new 
English  form;  and  the  spelHngs,  "Eejone,"  "Eejhone/' 
"Eochejone,"  "Eochejohn,"  and  "Eochejhone,''  are  among 
their  various  attempts  to  render  orthographically  the 
French  pronunciation. 

Pro])ably  the  name  would  have  been  adopted  unchanged, 
as  so  many  other  French  names  in  our  geography  have 
been,  except  for  the  recent  cession   of  Louisiana  to  the 


•Thompson's  estimate: 

Latitude,  43°  39'  45"  north. 

Longitude,  109°  43'  17"  west. 
Yount  Peak,  source  of  the  Yellowstone  (Hayden) : 

Latitude,  43°  57'  north. 

Longitude,  109°  52'  west. 
Thompson's  error: 

In  latitude,  17'  15". 

In  longitude,  8'  43",  or  about  21  miles. 


3 

United  States.  The  policy  wliicli  led  the  government 
promptly  to  explore,  and  take  formal  possession  of,  its  ox- 
tensive  acquisition,  led  it  also,  as  part  of  the  process  of 
rapid  Americanization,  to  give  English  names  to  all  of  the 
more  prominent  geographical  features.  In  the  case  of  the 
name  here  under  consideration  this  was  not  an  easy  mat- 
ter. The  French  form  had  already  obtained  wide  currency, 
and  it  was  reluctantly  set  aside  for  its  less  familiar  transla- 
tion. As  late  as  1817,  it  still  appeared  in  newly  English 
printed  books,*  while  among  the  traders  and  trappers  of 
the  mountains,  it  survived  to  a  much  later  period. 

By  whom  the  name  Roche  Jaune,  or  its  equivalent  form, 
Pierre  Jaune,  was  first  used,  it  would  be  extremely  inter- 
esting to  know;  but  it  is  impossible  to  determine  at  this 
late  day.  Like  their  successor,  "Yellow  Stone,''  these  names 
were  not  originals,  but  only  translations.  The  Indian  tribes 
along  the  Yellowstone  and  upper  Missouri  rivers  had 
names  for  the  tributary  stream  signifying  "yellow  rock,"f 
and  the  French  had  doubtless  adopted  them  long  before 
any  of  their  number  saw  the  stream  itself. 

It  has  been  supposed  that  the  Valley  of  the  Yellowstone 
was  visited  by  white  men  before  the  time  of  Lewis  and 
Clark,  particularly  by  the  Chevalier  de  la  Verendyre  about 
the  year  1743.  But  later  researches  have  shown  that  the 
route  of  this  explorer  lay  further  South,  and  that  he  did 
not  enter  the  Yellowstone  Valley  at  all.  He  may  have 
learned  of  the  existence  of  that  stream,  and  may  have  heard 
its  native  name ;  but  if  so  there  is  no  record  of  the  fact. 

Following  de  la  Verendyre  at  the  distance  of  nearly  half 
a  century  came  the  traders  and  trappers  of  the  Northwest 


•Bradbury's  "Travels  in  the  Interior  of  America." 
fThe  name  "Elk  River"   was  also  used   among  the  Crow 
Indians. 


4  THE  YELLOWSTONE  NATIONAL  PARK^ 

Fur  Company.  As  already  told,  they  were  among  the 
Mandans  as  early  as  1797,  and  the  name  Roche  Jaune  was 
in  common  use  among  them  in  1804.  But  it  is  quite  cer- 
tain that,  prior  to  1805,  none  of  them  had  reached  the  Yel- 
lowstone liiver  itself.  Lewis  and  Clark  particularly  record 
the  fact,  while  yet  some  distance  below  the  junction  of  this 
river  with  the  Missouri,  that  they  had  already  passed  the 
utmost  limit  of  previous  adventure  hy  white  men.  What- 
ever, therefore,  was  at  this  time  known  of  the  Yellowstone 
could  have  come  to  these  traders  only  from  Indian  sources.* 

It  thus  appears  that  the  name,  which  has  now  become  so 
celebrated,  descends  to  us,  through  two  translations,  from 
those  native  races  whose  immemorial  dwelling  place  had 
been  along  the  stream  which  it  describes.  What  it  was 
that  led  them  to  use  the  name  is  easily  discoverable.  Sev- 
enth-five miles  below  the  ultimate  source  of  the  river  lies 
the  Grand  Canon  of  the  Yellowstone,  distinguished  among 
the  notable  canons  of  the  globe  by  the  marvelous  coloring 
of  its  walls.  Conspicuous  among  its  innumerable  tints  is 
yellow.  Every  shade,  from  the  brilliant  plumage  of  the 
yellow  bird  to  the  rich  saffron  of  the  orange,  greets  the  eye 
in  bewildering  profusion.  There  is  indeed  other  color, 
unparalleled  in  variety  and  abundance,  but  the  ever-pres- 
ent background  of  all  is  the  beautiful  fifth  color  of  the 
spectrum. 

So  prominent  is  this  feature  that  it  never  fails  to  attract 

♦Much  information  has  come  to  light  in  recent  years  to 
throw  doubt  on  the  correctness  of  Lewis  and  Clark's  state- 
ment that  they  w-ere  the  first  white  men  on  the  Upper  Mis- 
souri. While  no  positive  and  definite  record  has  yet  been 
found  disproving  their  statement,  researches  among  old  docu- 
ments pertaining  to  French  occupancy  of  Louisiana  indicate 
that  there  were  much  earlier  explorations  of  the  Far  West 
country  than  has  generally  been  supposed. 


"YELLOWSTONE/'  5 

attention,  and  all  descriptions  of  the  Canon  abound  in 
references  to  it.  Lieutenant  Doane  (1870)  notes  the  bril- 
liant yellow  color^'  of  the  rocks.  Captain  Barlow  and 
Doctor  Hay  den  (1871)  refer,  in  almost  the  same  words, 
to  "the  yellow,  nearly  vertical  walls.'^  Raymond  (1871) 
speaks  oif  the  "bright  yellow  of  the  sulphur}^  clay."  Captain 
Jones  (1873)  says  that  "about  and  in  the  Grand  Canon 
the  rocks  are  nearly  all  tinged  a  brilliant  yellow."  These 
early  impressions  might  be  repeated  from  the  writings  of 
every  subsequent  visitor  who  has  described  the  scenery'  of 
the  Yellowstone. 

That  a  characteristic  which  so  deeply  moves  the  modern 
beholder  should  have  made  a  profound  impression  on  the 
mind  of  the  Indian  need  hardly  be  premised.  This  region 
was  by  no  means  unknown  to  him;  and  from  the  remote, 
although  uncertain,  period  of  his  first  acquaintance  with 
it,  the  name  of  the  river  has  undoubtedly  descended. 

Going  back,  then,  to  this  obscure  fountain-head,  the 
original  desigrjation  is  found  to  have  been 

Mi  tsi  a  da  zi*  Eock  Yellow  River. 
And  this,  in  the  French  tongue,  became 

Bnclie  Jaune  and  Pierre  Jaune; 
and  in  English, 

Yellow  Rock  and  Yellow  Stone. 
Established  usage  now  writes  it 

Yellowstone. 


♦Minnetaree,  one  of  the  Siouan  family  of  languages. 


CHAPTER  11. 

INDIAN  OCCUPANCY  OF  THE  UPPER  YELLOWSTONE. 

It  is  a  singular  fact  in  the  history  of  the  Yellowstone 
National  Park  that  very  little  knowledge  of  that  country 
seems  to  have  been  derived  from  the  Indians.  The  explana- 
tion ordinarily  advanced  is  that  the  Indians  had  a  super- 
stitious fear  of  the  geyser  regions,  and  therefore  avoided 
them.  How  far  this  theor}^  is  supported  by  the  results  of 
modern  research  is  an  interesting  inquiry. 

Three  great  families  of  Indians,  the  Siouan,  the  Algoii- 
quian,  and  the  Shoshonean,  originally  occupied  the  country 
around  the  sources  of  the  Yellowstone.  Of  these  three 
families  the  following  tribes  are  alone  of  interest  in  this 
connection:  The  Crows,  of  the  Siouan  family;  the  Black- 
feet,  of  the  Algonquian  family;  and  the  Bannocks,  the 
Eastern  Shoshones,  and  the  Sheepeaters,  of  the  Shoshon- 
ean  family. 

The  home  of  the  Crows  was  in  the  Valley  of  the  Yellow- 
stone and  Big  Horn  Rivers,  below  the  mountains,  where 
they  have  dwelt  since  the  white  man's  earliest  knowledge 
of  them.  Their  territory  extended  to  the  mountains  which 
bound  the  Yellowstone  Park  on  the  north  and  east;  bat 
they  never  occupied  or  claimed  any  of  the  country  beyond. 
Their  well-known  tribal  characteristics  were  an  insatiable 
love  of  horse  stealing  and  a  wandering  and  predatory 
habit  which  caused  them  to  roam  over  all  the  West  from 
the  Black  Hills  to  the  Bitter  Root  IMoimtains,  and  from 
the  British  Possessions  to  the  Spanish  Provinces.  They 
were  generally  friendly  to  the  whites,  but  enemies  of  the 


INDIAN  OCCUPANCY  OF  THE  UPPER  YELLOWSTONE.         7 

neighboring  Blackfeet  and  Shoshones.  Physically,  they 
were  a  stalwart,  handsome  race,  fine  horsmen  and  daring 
hunters.  They  were  everywhere  encountered  by  the  trap- 
per and  prospector,  who  generally  feared  them  more  on 
account  of  their  thievish  habits  than  for  reasons  of  per- 
sonal safety. 

The  Blackfeet  dwelt  in  the  country  drained  by  the 
headwaters  of  the  Missouri.  Their  territory  may  be 
roughly  defined  as  the  watershed  of  that  stream  above 
and  including  Milk  Eiver.  The  distinguishing  historic 
trait  of  these  Indians  was  their  settled  hostility  to  their 
neighbors,  whether  white  or  Indian.  They  were  a  tribe 
of  perpetual  fighters,  justly  characterized  as  the  Ishmael- 
ites  of  their  race.  From  the  day  in  1806,  when  Captain 
Lewis  slew  one  of  their  number,  down  to  their  final  sub- 
jection by  the  advancing  power  of  the  whites,  they  never 
buried  the  hatchet.  They  were  the  terror  of  the  trapper 
and  miner,  and  hundreds  of  the  pioneers  perished  at  their 
hands.  Like  the  Crows,  they  were  a  well-developed  race, 
good  horsemen  and  great  rovers,  but,  in  fight,  given  to 
subterfuge  and  strategem  rather  than  to  open  boldness  of 
action.* 


*  The  term  Blackfeet  in  the  earlier  years  of  the  past  cen- 
tury embraced,  in  popular  language,  four  tribes — the  Black- 
feet proper,  the  Bloods,  the  Piegan  and  the  Grosventres  of  the 
Prairies.  The  Grosventres  did  not  properly  belong  to  the 
Blackfeet  at  all,  but  were  related  to  the  Arapahoes,  who  dwelt 
near  th-e  headwaters  of  the  Arkansas.  In  some  of  their  early 
migrations  the  two  tribes  had  become  separated,  the  Gros- 
ventres settling  down  in  the  country  of  the  Blackfeet,  with 
whom,  in  the  course  of  long  association,  they  becam-e  closely 
identified.  They  were  the  most  relentlessly  hostile  to  the 
wiites  of  any  of  the  four  tribes.  It  was  a  Grosventre  Indian 
that  Captain  Lewis  killed  in  1806. 


8  THE    YELLOWSTONE    NATIONAL    PARK. 

In  marked  contrast  with  these  warlike  and  wandering 
tribe?  were  those  of  the  great  Shoshoncan  family,  who 
occupied  the  countr\^  around  the  southern,  eastern,  and 
western  borders  of  the  Park,  including  also  that  of  the 
Park  itself.  The  Shoshones  as  a  family  were  an  inferior 
race.  'They  seem  to  have  been  the  victims  of  some  great 
misfortune  which  had  driven  them  to  precarious  methods 
of  subsistence  and  had  made  them  the  prey  of  their  power- 
ful and  merciless  neighbors.  The  names  *Tish-eaters," 
"Eoot-diggers,"  and  other  opprobrious  epithets,  indicate 
the  contempt  in  which  they  were  commonly  held.  For  the 
most  part  they  had  no  horses,  and  obtained  a  livelihood 
only  by  the  most  abject  means.  Some  of  the  tribes,  how- 
ever, rose  above  this  degraded  condition,  owned  horses; 
hunted  buffalo,  and  met  their  enemies  in  open  conflict. 
Such  were  the  Bannocks  and  the  Eastern  Shoshones — tribes 
closely  connected  with  the  history  of  the  Park,  one  occup}'- 
ing  the  country  to  the  southwest  near  the  Teton  Moun- 
tains, and  the  other  that  to  the  southeast  in  the  Valley  of 
Wind  River.  The  Shoshones  were  generally  friendly  to  the 
whites,  and  for  this  reason  they  figure  less  prominently 
in  the  books  of  early  adventure  than  do  the  Blackfeet, 
whose  acts  of  "sanguinary  violence"  were  a  staple  article 
for  the  Indian  romancer. 

It  was  an  humble  branch  of  the  Shoshonean  family 
which  alone  is  known  to  have  permanently  occupied  what 
is  now  the  Yellowstone  Park.  They  were  called  Tuhua- 
ril'a,  or,  more  commonly.  Sheepeaters.  They  were  found 
in  the  Park  country  at  the  time  of  its  discovery,  and  had 
doubtless  long  been  there.  These  hermits  of  the  moun- 
tains, whom  the  French  trappers  called  ''les  dignes  da 
pitie/'  have  engaged  the  sympathy  or  contempt  of  explorers 
since  our  earliest  knowledge  of  them.     Utterly  unf ';  for 


INDIAN  OCCUPANCY  OF  THE  UPPER  YELLOWSTONE.  9 

warlike  contention,  they  seem  to  have  sought  immunity 
from  their  dangerous  neighbors  by  dwelling  among  the 
inaccessible  fastnesses  of  the  mountains.  They  were  desti- 
tute of  even  savage  comforts.  Their  food,  as  their  name 
indicates,  was  principally  the  flesh  of  the  mountain  sheep. 
Their  clothing  was  composed  of  skins.  They  had  no  horses, 
and  were  armed  only  with  bows  and  arrows.  They  cap- 
tured game  by  driving  it  into  brush  enclosures.  Their 
rigorous  existence  left  its  mark  on  their  physical  nature. 
They  were  feeble  in  mind,  diminutive  in  stature,  and  are 
always  described  as  a  "timid,  harmless  race."  They  may 
have  been  longer  resident  in  this  region  than  is  commoiily 
supposed,  for  there  was  a  tradition  among  them,  appar- 
ently connected  with  some  remote  period  of  geological  dis- 
turbance, that  most  of  their  race  were  once  destroyed  by  a 
terrible  convulsion  of  nature. 

Such  were  the  Indian  tribes  who  formerly  dwelt  within 
or  near  the  country  now  embraced  in  the  Yellowstone 
National  Park.  That  the  Sheepeaters  actually  occupied 
this  country,  and  that  wandering  bands  from  other  tribes 
occasionally  visited  it^  there  is  abundant  and  conclusive 
proof.  Indian  trails,  though  generally  indistinct,  were 
everywhere  found  by  the  early  explorers,  generally  on  lines 
since  occupied  by  the  tourist  routes.  One  of  these  followed 
the  Yellowstone  Valley  entirely  across  the  Park  from 
north  to  south.  It  divided  at  Yellowstone  Lake,  the  prin- 
cipal branch  following  the  east  shore,  crossing  Two-Ocean- 
Pass,  and  intersecting  a  great  trail  which  connected  the 
Snake  and  Wind  River  Valleys.  The  other  branch  passed 
along  the  west  shore  of  the  lake  and  over  the  divide  to  the 
valley  of  the  Snake  Eiver  and  Jackson  Lake.  This  trail 
was  intersected  by  an  important  one  in  the  vicinity  of  Co- 
Dant  Creek  leading  up  from  the  Upper  Snake  A^alley  to 


10  THE    YELLOWSTOXE    XATIOXAL    PARK. 

that  of  Henry  Fork.  Other  intersecting  trails  connected 
the  Yellowstone  Eiver  trail  with  the  Madison  and  Firehole 
Basins  on  the  west  and  with  the  Bighorn  Valley  on  the 
east. 

The  most  important  Indian  trail  in  the  Park,  however, 
was  that  known  as  the  Great  Bannock  Trail.  It  extended 
from  Henry  Lake  across  the  Gallatin  Eange  to  Mammoth 
Hot  Springs,  where  it  was  joined  by  another  coming  up 
the  valley  of  the  Gardiner.  Thence  it  led  across  the  Black- 
tail  Deer  plateau  to  the  ford  above  Tower  Falls;  and 
thence  up  the  Lamar  Valley,  forking  at  Soda  Butte,  and 
reaching  the  Bighorn  A'alley  by  way  of  Clark's  Fork  and 
the  Shoshone  River.*  This  trail  was  certainly  a  very  an- 
cient and  much-traveled  one.  It  had  ])ecome  a  deep  fur- 
row in  the  grassy  slopes,  and  it  is  still  distinctly  visible 
in  places,  though  unused  for  a  quarter  of  a  century. 

Additional  evidence  in  the  same  direction  may  be  seen 
in  the  widespread  distribution  of  implements  peculiar  to 
Indian  use.  Arrows  and  spear  heads  have  been  found  in 
considerable  numbers.  Obsidian  Cliif  was  an  important 
quarry,  and  the  open  country  near  the  outlet  of  Yellow- 
stone Lake  a  favorite  camping  ground.  Certain  implements, 
such  as  pipes,  hammers,  and  stone  vessels,  indicating  the 
former  presence  of  a  more  civilized  people,  have  been 
found  to  a  limited  extent;  and  some  explorers  have  thought 
that  a  S3mimetrical  mound  in  the  valley  of  the  S7"iake 
Eiver,  below  the  month  of  Heart  Eiver,  is  of  artificial 
origin.  Eeference  will  be  made  later  to  the  discovery  of  a 
rude  granite  structure  near  the  top  of  the  Grand  Teton, 
which  is  unquestionably  of  very  ancient  date. 

Eustic  Geyser,  in  the  Heart  Lake  Geyser  Basin,  is  ''bor- 


*  For  history  of  this   name,   see  chapter  on  geographical 
nomenclature  of  the  Park. 


INDIAN  OCCUPANCY  OF  THE  UPPER  YELLOWSTONE.       11 

dcred  by  logs  which  are  coated  with  a  crystalline,  semi- 
translucent  deposit  of  geyserite.  These  logs  were  evidently 
placed  around  the  geyser  by  either  Indians  or  wlute  men 
a  number  of  years  ago,  as  the  coating  is  thick  and  the  lo.^s 
firmly  attached  to  the  surrounding  deposit."* 

More  recent  and  perishable  proofs  of  the  presence  of 
Indians  in  the  Park  were  found  by  the  early  explorers  in 
the  rude  wick-e-ups,  brush  inclosures,  and  similar  contriv- 
ances of  the  lonely  Sheepcaters. 

The  real  question  of  doubt  in  regard  to  Indian  occu- 
pancy of  or  visits  to  the  Park  is  therefore  not  one  of  fact, 
but  of  degree.  The  Sheepeaters  certainly  dwelt  there ;  but 
as  to  other  tribes,  their  acquaintance  with  it  seems  to  have 
been  very  limited.  No  word  of  information  about  the  gey- 
ser regions  ever  fell  from  their  lips,  except  that  the  sur- 
rounding country  was  known  to  them  as  the  Burning 
Mountains.  With  one  or  two  exceptions,  the  old  trails  were 
very  indistinct,  requiring  an  experienced  eye  to  distin- 
guish them  from  game  trails.  Their  undeveloped  condi- 
tion indicated  infrequent  use.  Old  trappers  who  knew 
tJiis  region  in  early  times  say  that  the  great  majority  of 
Indians  never  saw  it.  Able  Indian  guides  in  the  surround- 
ing country  became  lost  when  they  entered  the  Park,  and 
the  Nez  Perces  were  forced  to  impress  a  wliitc  man  as 
guide  when  they  crossed  it  in  1877. 

A  writer,  to  whom  extended  reference  will  be  made  in  a 
later  chapter,  visited  the  Upper  Geyser  Basin  in  ISSC. 
accompanied  by  two  Pend  d'Oreilles  Indians.  Xeither  of 
these  Indians  had  ever  seen  or  apparently  heard  of  the 
geysers,  and  they  "were    quite    appalled'^  at  the  sight  of 


*  Page  298,  Twelfth  Annual  Report  of  Dr.  Hayden.     It  is 
more  than  probable  that  this  was  the  work  of  trappers. 


12  THE  YELLOWSTONE  NATIONAL  PARK. 

them,  believing  them  to  be  "supernatural"  and  the  "pro- 
duction of  the  Evil  Spirit." 

Lieutenant  Doane,  who  commanded  the  military  escort 
to  the  Yellowstone  Expedition  of  1870,  says  in  his  report  :* 

"Appearances  indicated  that  the  basin  [of  the  Yellow- 
stone Lake]  had  been  almost  entirely  abandoned  by  the 
sons  of  the  forest.  A  few  lodges  of  Sheepeaters,  a  branch 
remnant  of  the  Snake  tribe_,  wretched  beasts  who  run  from 
the  sight  of  a  white  man,  or  from  any  other  tribe  of  In- 
dians, are  said  to  inhabit  the  fastnesses  of  the  mountains 
around  the  lakes,  poorly  armed  and  dismounted,  obtaining 
a  precarious  subsistence  and  in  a  defenseless  condition. 
We  saw,  however,  no  recent  traces  of  them.  The  larger 
tribes  never  enter  the  basin,  restrained  by  superstitious 
ideas  in  connection  with  the  thermal  springs." 

In  1880,  Col.  P.  W.  Norris,  Second  Superintendent  of 
the  Park,  had  a  long  interview  on  the  shore  of  the  Yellow- 
stone Lake  with  We-Saw,  "an  old  but  remarkably  intelli- 
gent Indian"  of  the  Shoshone  tribe,  who  was  then  acting 
as  guide  to  an  exploring  party  under  Governor  Hoyt,  of 
Wyoming,  and  who  had  previously  passed  through  the 
Park  with  the  expedition  of  1873  under  Capt.  W.  A.  Jones, 
U.  S.  A.  He  had  also  been  in  the  Park  region  on  former 
occasions.  Colonel  Norris  records  the  following  facts  from 
this  Indian's  conversation :  f 

"We-Saw  states  that  he  had  neither  knowledge  nor  tra- 
dition of  any  permanent  occupants  of  the  Park  save  the 
timid  Sheepeaters.  ...  He  said  that  his  people  (Shos- 
hones),  the  Bannocks,  and  the  Crows,  occasionally  visited 
the  Yellowstone  Lake  and  River  portions  of  the  Park,  but 


*  Page  26,  "Yellawstone  Expedition  of  1870." 
1  Page  38,  Annual  Report  of  Superintendent  of  the  Park  for 
1^1. 


INDIAN  OCCUPANCY  OF  THE  UPPER  YELLOWSTONE.       13 

vory  seMom  the  geyser  regions,  which  he  declared  were 
*heap,  heap,  bad/  and  never  wintered  there,  as  white  men 
sometimes  did  with  horses/^ 

It  seems  that  even  the  resident  Sheepeaters  knew  little 
of  the  geyser  basins.  General  Sheridan,  who  entered  the 
Park  from  the  South  in  1882,  makes  this  record  in  his  re- 
port of  the  expedition:* 

"We  had  with  us  five  Sheep-eating  Indians  as  guides, 
and,  fctrange  to  say,  although  these  Indians  had  lived  for 
years  and  years  about  Mounts  Sheridan  and  Hancoek,  and 
the  high  mountains  Southeast  of  the  Yellowstone  Lake, 
they  knew  nothing  about  the  Firehole  Geyser  Basin,  and 
they  exhibited  more  astonishment  and  wonder  than  any 
of  us." 

Evidence  like  the  foregoing  clearly  indicates  that  this 
country  was  terra  incognita  to  the  vast  body  of  Indians 
who  dwelt  around  it,  and  again  this  singular  fact  presents 
itself  for  explanation.  Was  it,  as  is  generally  supposed, 
a  "superstitious  fear^'  that  kept  them  away?  The  inci- 
dents just  related  give  some  color  to  such  a  theory;  but  if 
it  were  really  true,  we  should  expect  to  find  well  authenti- 
cated Indian  traditions  of  so  marvelous  a  country.  Unfor- 
tunately history  records  none  that  are  worthy  of  consider- 
ation. Only  in  the  names  "Yellowstone"'  and  "Burning 
Mountains"  do  we  find  any  original  evidence  that  this  land 
of  wonders  appealed  in  the  least  degree  to  the  native 
imagination.f 

The  real  explanation  of  this  remarkable  ignorance  ap- 
pears to  us  to  rest  on  grounds  essentially  practical.  There 
was  nothing  to  induce  the  Indians  to  visit  the  Park 
country.     For  three-fourths  of  the  year  that  country  is 

•  Page  11,  Report  on  Explorations  of  Parts  of  Wyoming, 
Idaho  and  Montana,  1882. 

*  See,  however.  Page  46. 


14  THE    YELLOWSTONE    NATIONAL   PARK. 

iDaccessible  on  account  of  snow.  It  is  covered  with  dense 
forests,  which  in  most  places  are  so  filled  with  fallen  timber 
and  tangled  underbrush  as  to  be  practically  impassable. 
As  a  game  country  in  those  early  days  it  could  not  compare 
with  the  lower  surrounding  valleys.  As  a  highway  of  com- 
munication between  the  valleys  of  the  Missouri,  Snake, 
Yellowstone  and  Bighorn  Eivers,  it  was  no  thoroughfare. 
The  great  routes,  except  the  Bannock  trail  already 
described,  lay  on  the  outside.  All  the  conditions,  therefore, 
which  might  attract  the  Indians  to  this  region  were  want- 
ing. Even  those  sentimental  influences,  such  as  a  love 
of  sublime  scenery  and  a  curiosity  to  see  the  strange  freaks 
of  nature,  evidently  had  less  weight  with  them  than  with 
their  pale-face  brethren. 


CHAPTEE  III. 

JOHN   COLTER. 

The  first  white  man  to  set  foot  within  the  territory  of  the 
Yellowstone  Xational  Park  was  the  individual  whose  name 
stands  at  the  head  of  this  chapter.  He  first  comes  to  our 
notice  as  a  private  soldier  in  the  expedition  of  Lewis  and 
Clark.  He  accompanied  these  explorers  across  the  conti- 
nent and  as  far  back  as  Fort  Mandan,  the  winter  quarters 
of  1804-5.  He  was  a  typical  frontiersman,  though  of  more 
than  average  ability.  A  man  of  undaunted  courage  and 
incredible  endurance,  his  whole  career,  so  far  as  we  know 
it,  was  filled  with  perilous  adventure,  and  his  exploits 
might  pass  for  fairy  tales  were  they  not  substantiated  by 
the  most  reliable  evidence.  During  his  service  under  Lewis 
and  Clark  he  won  the  respect  and  praise  of  those  officers, 
and  his  work  after  he  left  them  has  won  for  him  the  resj)ect 
and  praise  of  his  posterity. 

When  Lewis  and  Clark  reached  Fort  Mandan  on  their 
return  journey  in  1806,  Colter  appealed  to  them  to  be 
relieved  from  further  service  in  order  that  he  might  remain 
in  the  country  and  trap  for  beaver.  The  incident  is  thus 
recorded  in  the  journal  under  date  of  August  15  and 
16,  1806 : 

*Tn  the  evening  we  were  applied  to  by  one  of  our  men, 
Colter,  who  was  desirous  of  joining  the  two  trappers  who 
had  accompanied  us,  and  who  now  proposed  an  expedition 
up  the  river,  in  which  they  were  to  find  traps  and  give  him 
a  share  of  the  profits.  The  offer  was  a  very  advantageous 
one,  and,  as  he  had  always  performed  his  duty,  and  his 


16  TILE   YELLOWSTONE    NATIONAL   PARK. 

services  might  be  dispensed  with,  we  agreed  that  he  might 
go,  provided  none  of  the  rest  would  ask  or  expect  a  similar 
indulgence.  To  this  they  cheerfully  answered  that  they 
wished  Colter  every  success  and  would  not  apply  for 
liberty  to  separate  before  we  reached  St.  Louis.  We  there- 
fore supplied  him,  as  did  his  comrades  also,  with  powder, 
lead,  and  a  variety  of  articles  which  might  be  useful  to 
him,  and  he  left  us  the  next  day.'' 

To  our  explorers,  just  returning  from  a  two  years' 
sojourn  in  the  wilderness.  Colter's  decision  seemed  too 
remarkable  to  be  passed  over  in  silence.  The  journal  con- 
tinues: 

"The  example  of  this  man  shows  us  how  easily  men  may 
be  weaned  from  the  habits  of  civilized  life  to  the  ruder 
but  scarcely  less  fascinating  manners  of  the  woods.  This 
hunter  has  now  been  absent  for  many  years  from  the 
frontier,  and  might  naturally  be  presumed  to  have  some 
anxiety,  or  some  curiosity  at  least,  to  return  to  his  friends 
and  his  country;  yet  just  at  the  moment  when  he  ia 
approaching  the  frontiers,  he  is  tempted  by  a  hunting 
scheme  to  give  up  those  delightful  prospects,  and  go  back 
without  the  least  reluctance  to  the  solitude  of  the  woods." 

Colter  remained  on  the  upper  rivers  until  the  spring  of 
1807,  but  just  where,  or  with  what  adventure,  is  not  known. 
After  his  first  winter  in  the  trapping  business  he  decided  to 
return  to  St.  Louis.  He  set  out  in  a  log  canoe  entirely 
alone  and  made  his  way  in  safety  as  far  as  to  the  mouth 
of  the  Platte  Eiver.  Here  he  met  an  expedition  under  the 
celebrated  trader,  Manuel  Lisa,  bound  for  the  headwaters 
of  the  Missouri  to  verify  the  glowing  reports  brought 
back  by  Lewis  and  Clark  concerning  the  wealth  of  beaver 
fur  to  be  found  in  that  region.  To  Lisa  the  accession  of 
such  a  recruit  as  John  Colter,  fresh  from  the  very  country 


Cliff  Near  Tower  Falls. 


JOHN   COLTER.  Vt 

to  which  he  was  going,  was  a  matter  of  the  very  highest 
importance.  What  inducements  were  offered  we  do  not 
know,  but  enough  to  decide  the  self-exiled  hunter  to  give 
up  his  return  to  civilization  and  to  set  his  face  for  the 
third  time  toward  the  wilderness. 

Nothing  occurred  on  the  voyage  with  which  his  name  is 
connected  until  the  arrival  of  the  expedition  at  the  mouth 
of  the  Bighorn.  Lisa  had  expected  to  find  the  Blackfeet 
nation  very  hostile,  and  it  may  have  been  a  fear  of  this 
hostility  that  caused  his  unlucky  decision  to  establish  him- 
self in  the  country  of  their  enemies,  the  Crows.  But  it 
seemed  that  a  detachment  of  Lisa's  party  met  a  band  of 
Blackfeet,  either  before  or  soon  after  the  arrival  at  tlio 
mouth  of  the  Bighorn,  from  whom  interesting  and  impor- 
tant information  was  obtained.  Far  from  being  hostile, 
these  Indians  evinced  a  pacific  disposition,  and  said  that  the 
provocation  under  which  Captain  Lewis  had  acted  in  kill- 
ing one  of  their  number  was  so  obvious  and  flagrant  that 
they  had  not  cherished  this  act  as  a  justification  of  hos- 
tility, and  were  ready  to  open  relations  of  trade  with  the 
whites. 

Lisa  was  greatly  pleased  at  this  prospect.  He  had 
already  arranged  to  send  Colter  to  notify  the  surrounding 
bands  of  Indians  of  his  arrival,  and  he  probably  directed 
him  to  proceed  also  to  the  Three  Forks  of  the  Missouri  and 
confer  with  the  Blackfeet  nation.  It  was  a  perilous  adven- 
ture and  one  requiring  great  courage  and  hardihood.  'This 
man/'  says  Brackenridge,  "with  a  pack  of  thirty  pounds 
weight,  his  gun  and  some  ammunition,  went  upward  of 
five  hundred  miles  to  the  Crow  nation ;  gave  them  informa- 
tion, and  proceeded  from  thence  to  several  other  tribes." 
It  seems  that  when  Lisa  arrived  in  the  country  the  Crows 
were  in  the  upper  end  of  the  vallev,  probably  on  Wind 
(I*)  ^  / 


18  THE    YELLOWSTONE    NATIOXAL    PARK. 

Eiver,  and  Colter  had  to  travel  a  long  distance  to  reach 
them.  He  then  most  likely  secured  the  services  of  a  party 
of  the  Crows  to  guide  him  by  the  best  trail  across  the 
mountains,  for  he  would  hardly  have  selected  so  well  by 
himself  what  is  now,  and  doubtess  was  then,  the  best  route 
through  this  exceptionally  rugged  country.  All  available 
evidence  indicates  that  Colter  traveled  directly  from  Wind 
Eiver  to  Pierre's  Hole,  crossing  the  Wind  Eiver  mountains 
by  Union  Pass  and  the  Teton  Eange  by  Teton  Pass.  The 
sublime  and  wonderful  scenery  and  the  remarkable  topo- 
graphical situation  by  which  divergent  streams  flow  from 
a  common  neighborhood  to  widely-separated  river  systems, 
and  the  ease  with  which  the  mountains  could  be  crossed,* 
impressed  Colter  deeply.  When  he  returned  to  St.  Louis 
he  drew  the  attention  of  Clark,  Brackenridge  and  others 
to  these  remarkable  features. 

It  is  probable  that  it  was  in  the  valley  of  Pierre's  Hole 
that  "the  party  in  whose  company  he  happened  to  be,"  was 
attacked,  as  related  by  Brackenridge.  This  party,  accord- 
ing to  Biddle,  was  of  the  Crow  nation  and  the  attacking 
party  were  Blackfeet.  A  fight  ensued  and  Colter,  by  the 
necessity  of  the  situation,  was  compelled  to  take  part  with 
the  Crows.  He  distinguished  himself  greatly  and  received 
a  severe  wound  in  the  leg.     The  Blackfeet  were  defeated, 

*  "At  the  head  of  the  Gallatin  Fork  and  of  the  Grosse 
Come  of  the  Yellowstone  [the  Bighorn  River],  from  discoveries 
since  the  voyage  of  Lewis  and  Clark,  it  is  found  less  difficult 
to  cross  than  the  Allegheny  mountains.  Colter,  a  celebrated 
hunter  and  woodsman,  informed  me  that  a  loaded  wagon 
would  find  no  obstruction  in  passing." — Brackenridge.  The 
Gallatin  river  was  mistaken  for  one  of  the  upper  branches  of 
the  Yellowstone,  probably;  but  it  is  clear  that  Colter  here 
refers  to  Union  or  Two-gwotee  pass  at  the  head  of  Wind 
River. 


JOHN   COLTEH.  19 

but  not  until  they  had  seen  the  pale-face  ally  of  their 
enemies,  to  whom,  no  doubt,  they  attributed  their  dis- 
comfiture. 

The  Crows,  having  conducted  their  guest  across  the 
mountains,  and  probably  not  deeming  it  wise  to  linger  until 
the  vengeance  of  the  Blackfeet  should  bring  reinforcements 
upon  them,  left  Colter  at  this  point  and  returned  to  their 
country.  This  conclusion  seems  certain  from  Colter's  own 
narrative  to  Brackenridge,  who  says  that,  notwithstanding 
tlie  wound  in  his  leg,  ^lie  returned  to  the  establishment 
entirely  alone  and  without  assistance,  several  hundred 
miles.''  Colter,  upon  his  return  to  St.  Louis,  gave  to  Gen- 
eral Clark  a  description  of  his  route,  which  the  latter  placed 
upon  the  map  accompanying  the  report  of  the  Lewis  and 
Clark  expedition  and  legended  it '^'Colter's  Route  in  1807.'* 
This  map  makes  it  clear  that  from  Pierre's  Hole  Colter 
undertook  to  reach  Lisa's  fort  by  the  most  direct  route 
})ossible.  Such  was  probably  his  plan.  He  knew  that  it 
would  be  folly  for  him  now  to  proceed  to  the  Tlirce  Forks, 
where  he  would  become  an  instant  victim  of  Blackfoot 
vengeance.  The  best  thing  to  do  was  to  make  his  way  back 
to  the  fort  and  report  to  Lisa.  To  go  by  the  way  he  had 
come  would  be  to  make  a  long  detour  and  nearly  doul^le  the 
distance  over  a  direct  line.  Colter  had  a  sufficient  bump  of 
locality  to  know  that  Lisa's  fort  lay  about  northeast  of  his 
position.  He  accordingly  launched  into  the  dense  pine 
forests  that  cover  the  country  on  the  northern  flank  of  tlie 
Teton  range  and  the  southern  portion  of  the  Yellowstone 
National  Park.  It  may  with  difficulty  be  imagined  wliat 
must  have  been  his  astonishment  when,  emerging  from  the 
forests  upon  the  shore  of  that  surpassingly  beautiful  moun- 
tain lake  near  the  source  of  the  Yellowstone  River,  he  found 
its  shores  steaming  mXh.  innumerable  boiling  springs  and 


20  THE   YELLOWSTONE    NATIONAL   PARK. 

geysers.  As  a  matter  of  fact  Colter^s  route  was  carrying  him 
directly  across  the  present  Yellowstone  Park,  from  south- 
west to  northeast.  He  saw  the  strange  phenomena  on  the 
sliore  of  Yellowstone  Lake,  and  along  the  course  of  its  out- 
let for  a  distance  of  some  forty  miles.  There  is  no  record 
that  he  ever  mentioned  having  seen  the  Falls  of  the 
Yellowstone,  but  he  could  hardly  have  escaped  them,  con- 
sidering the  course  of  his  journey  as  outlined  upon  the  map. 
He  continued  down  the  Yellowstone  so  long  as  it  bore  to 
the  northeast  on  his  general  course,  but  left  it  by  way  of 
the  valley  of  the  East  Fork,  where  the  river  turns  abruptly 
to  the  northwest. 

Such,  in  the  main,  is  "Colter's  route  in  1807" — from  the 
mouth  of  the  Bighorn  to  the  forks  of  the  Shoshone  Eiver, 
where  he  discovered  an  immense  tar  spring;  thence  to  the 
Teton  Pass  and  Pierre's  Hole  just  west  of  the  Teton  Eange; 
thence  northeast  to  Yellowstone  Lake  and  down  the  Yel- 
lowstone Eiver  to  the  ford  at  Tower  Falls ;  thence  along  the 
old  Indian  trail  that  led  out  of  the  Park  country,  and  over 
into  the  valley  of  Clark's  Fork ;  thence  back  to  the  forks  of 
the  Shoshone,  and  thence  back  to  Lisa's  fort.  He  did  not 
see  the  great  geyser  basins  nor  Mammoth  Hot  Springs,  but 
he  must  have  seen  the  Caiion  and  Falls  of  the  Yellowstone. 

This  very  remarkable  achievement — remarkable  in  the 
courage  and  hardihood  of  this  lone  adventurer  and  remark- 
able in  its  unexpected  results  in  geographical  discovery — 
deserves  to  be  classed  among  the  most  celebrated  perform- 
ances in  the  history  of  American  exploration.  Colter  was 
the  first  explorer  of  the  valley  of  the  Bighorn  Eiver;  the 
first  to  cross  the  passes  at  the  head  of  Wind  Eiver  and  see 
the  headwaters  of  the  Colorado  of  the  West ;  the  first  to  see 
the  Teton  Mountains,  Jackson  Hole,  Pierre's  Hole,  and  the 


JOHN   COLTER.  21 

source  of  the  Snake  Eiver ;  and  most  important  of  all,  the 
iirst  to  pass  through  that  singular  region  which  has  since 
become  known  throughout  the  world  as  the  Yellowstone 
AVonderland.  He  also  saw  the  immense  tar  spring  at  the 
forks  of  the  Shoshone  Eiver,  a  spot  which  came  to  bear  the 
name  of  ^'Colter's  Hell/' 

Colter  had  now  accomplished  enough  to  entitle  him  to 
lasting  distinction  in  the  cause  of  geographical  exploration ; 
but  honors  of  a  more  perilous  character  still  awaited  him. 
As  soon  as  spring  opened — for  he  could  not  have  returned 
to  Lisa's  fort  before  the  arrival  of  winter — Lisa  dispatched 
him  again  to  visit  the  Blackfeet.  He  set  out  directly  for 
the  Three  Forks  of  the  Missouri,  where  he  seems  to  have 
employed  his  time  trapping  until  the  Indians  put  in  an 
appearance.  He  was  accompanied  on  this  expedition  by  a 
companion  named  Potts,  very  likely  the  same  one  who  had 
been  a  fellow  soldier  in  the  Lewis  and  Clark  expedition. 
Biddle  relates  that  when  these  two  men  met  the  Blackfeet 
these  Indians  did  not  even  yet  evince  hostile  intentions,  but 
that  an  altercation  soon  ensued,  ending  in  a  combat  in 
which  Potts  was  killed  and  Colter  made  his  escape.  This 
affair  was  probably  the  same  as  that  related  by  John  Brad- 
bury in  his  "Travels  in  Xorth  America,"  and  better  known 
through  Irving's  "Astoria.'^  Colter  gave  the  account  of  his 
miraculous  escape  to  the  English  naturalist  immediately 
after  his  return  to  St.  Louis  in  the  spring  of  1810.  All 
other  accounts  are  based  upon  Bradbur/s.  The  simple  and 
direct  language  in  which  the  author  has  clothed  his  recital 
tells  the  story  so  well  that  even  the  skilful  pen  of  Irving 
adopted  it  almost  without  change.  The  adventure  is  one  of 
those  remarkable  experiences  which  have  now  and  then 
occurred  in  our  frontier  history,  almost  beyond  credibility, 


22  THE    TELLOWSTOXE    NATIONAL   PARK. 

hut  nevertheless  in  their  details  clearly  possible.  The  story 
is  here  repeated  in  the  exact  words  of  Bradbury : 

'"This  man  came  to  St.  Louis  in  May,  1810,  in  a  small 
canoe,  from  the  headwaters  of  the  ]\Iissouri,  a  distance  of 
three  thousand  miles,  which  he  traversed  in  thirty  days.  I 
saw  him  on  his  arrival,  and  received  from  him  an  account 
of  his  adventures  aftor  he  had  separated  from  Lewis  and 
Clark's  party;  one  of  these^  from  its  singularity,  I  shall 
relate.  On  the  arrival  of  the  party  at  the  headwaters  of  the 
Missouri,  Colter,  observing  an  appearance  of  abundance  of 
beaver  there,  got  permission  to  remain  and  hunt  for  some 
time,  which  he  did  in  company  with  a  man  by  the  name  of 
Dixon,  who  had  traversed  the  immense  tract  of  country 
from  St.  Louis  to  the  headwaters  of  the  ^Missouri  alone. 

"Soon  after  he  separated  from  Dixon  and  trapped  in 
company  with  a  hunter  named  Potts;  and  aware  of  the 
hostility  of  the  Blackfeet  Indians,  one  of  whom  had  been 
killed  by  Lewis,  they  set  their  traps  at  night,  and  took  them 
up  early  in  the  morning,  remaining  concealed  during  the 
day.  They  were  examining  their  traps  early  one  morning, 
in  a  creek  about  six  miles  from  that  branch  of  the  Missouri 
called  Jefferson's  Fork,  and  were  ascending  in  a  canoe, 
when  they  suddenly  heard  a  great  noise,  resembling  the 
trampling  of  animals ;  but  they  could  not  ascertain  the  fact, 
as  the  high  perpendicular  banks  on  each  side  of  the  river 
impeded  their  view.  Colter  immediately  pronounced  it  to 
be  occasioned  by  Indians,  and  advised  an  instant  retreat; 
but  was  accused  of  cowardice  by  Potts,  who  insisted  that 
the  noise  was  caused  by  buffaloes,  and  they  proceeded  on. 
In  a  few  minutes  afterward  their  doubts  were  removed  by 
a  party  of  Indians  making  their  appearance  on  both  sides 
of  the  creek^  to  the  amount  of  iive  or  six  hundred,  who 
beckoned  them  to  come  ashore.  As  retreat  was  now  impos- 
sible, Colter_turned  the  head  of  the  canoe  to  the  shore;  and^ 


JOHN   COLTER.  23 

at  the  moment  of  its  touching  an  Indian  seized  the  rifle 
belonging  to  Potts;  but  Colter  (who  is  a  remarkably  strong 
man),  immediately  retook  it,  and  handed  it  to  Potts,  who 
remained  in  the  canoe,  and  on  receiving  it  pushed  ofl  into 
the  river.  He  had  scarcely  quitted  the  shore  when  an  arrow 
was  shot  at  him,  and  he  cried  out,  'Colter,  I  am  wounded.' 
Colter  remonstrated  with  him  on  the  folly  of  attempting 
to.  escape,  and  urged  him  to  come  ashore.  Instead  of  com- 
plying, he  instantly  leveled  his  rifle  at  an  Indian,  and  shot 
him  dead  on  the  spot.  This  conduct,  situated  as  he  was,  may 
appear  to  have  been  an  act  of  madness ;  but  it  was  doubtlej^s 
the  effect  of  sudden  and  sound  reasoning;  for  if  taken  alive 
he  must  have  expected  to  be  tortured  to  death,  according 
to  their  custom.  He  w^as  instantly  pierced  with  arrows  so 
numerous  that,  to  use  the  language  of  Colter,  *he  was  made 
a  riddle  of.' 

''They  now  seized  Colter,  stripped  him  entirely  naked, 
and  began  to  consult  on  the  manner  in  which  he  should  be 
put  to  death.  They  were  first  inclined  to  set  him  up  as  a 
mark  to  shoot  at ;  but  the  chief  interfered,  and  seizing  him 
by  the  shoulder,  asked  him  if  he  could  run  fast.  Colter, 
who  had  been  some  time  amongst  the  Kee-kat-sa,  or  Crow 
Indians,  had  in  a  considerable  degree  acquired  the  Black- 
foot  language,  and  was  also  well  acquainted  with  Indian 
customs.  He  knew  that  he  had  now  to  run  for  his  life, 
with  the  dreadful  odds  of  five  or  six  hundred  against  him, 
and  those  armed  Indians;  therefore  he  cunningly  replied 
that  he  was  a  very  bad  runner,  although  he  was  considered 
by  the  hunters  as  remarkably  swift.  The  chief  now  com- 
manded the  party  to  remain  stationary,  and  led  Colter  out 
on  the  prairie  tlirce  or  four  hundred  yards,  and  released 
him,  bidding  him  to  save  himself  if  he  could.  At  that 
instant  the  horrid  war  whoop  sounded  in  the  ears  of  poor 


24  THE    YELLOWSTONE    NATIONAL    PARK. 

Colter,  who,  urged  with  the  hope  of  preserving  life,  ran 
with  a  speed  at  which  he  was  himself  surprised.  He  pro- 
ceeded toward  the  Jefferson  Fork,  having  to  traverse  a 
plain  six  miles  in  breadth,  abounding  with  prickly  pear, 
on  which  he  was  every  instant  treading  with  his  naked 
feet.  He  ran  nearly  half  way  across  the  plain  before  he 
ventured  to  look  over  his  shoulder,  when  he  perceived  that 
the  Indians  were  very  much  scattered,  and  that  he  had 
gained  ground  to  a  considerable  distance  from  the  main 
body ;  but  one  Indian,  who  carried  a  spear,  was  much  before 
all  the  rest,  and  not  more  than  a  hundred  yards  from 
him.  A  faint  gleam  of  hope  now  cheered  the  heart  of 
Colter;  he  derived  confidence  from  the  belief  that  escape 
was  within  the  bounds  of  possibility;  but  that  confidence 
was  nearly  fatal  to  him,  for  he  exerted  himself  to  such  a 
degree  that  the  blood  gushed  from  his  nostrils,  and  soon 
almost  covered  the  fore  part  of  his  body. 

"He  had  now  arrived  within  a  mile  of  the  river,  when  he 
distinctly  heard  the  appalling  sound  of  footsteps  behind 
him,  and  every  instant  expected  to  feel  the  spear  of  his 
pursuer.  Again  he  turned  his  head,  and  saw  the  savage 
not  twenty  yards  from  him.  Determined  if  possible  to 
avoid  the  expected  blow,  he  suddenly  stopped,  turned 
round,  and  spread  out  his  arms.  The  Indian,  surprised  by 
the  suddenness  of  the  action,  and  perhaps  of  the  bloody 
appearance  of  Colter,  also  attempted  to  stop ;  but  exhausted 
with  running,  he  fell  whilst  endeavoring  to  throw  his 
spear,  which  stack  in  the  ground  and  broke  in  his  hand. 
Colter  instantly  snatched  up  the  pointed  part,  with  which 
he  pinned  him  to  the  earth,  and  then  continued  his  flight. 
The  foremost  of  the  Indians,  on  arriving  at  the  place, 
stopped  till  others  came  up  to  join  them,  when  they  set  up  a 
hideous  yell.    Every  moment  of  this  time  was  improved  by 


JOHN   COLTER.'  25 

Colter,  who,  although  fainting  and  exhausted,  succeeded  in 
gaining  the  skirting  of  the  cottonwood  trees,  on  the  borders 
of  the  fork,  through  which  he  ran  and  plunged  into  the 
river.  Fortunately  for  him,  a  little  below  this  place  there 
was  an  island,  against  the  upper  point  of  which  a  raft  of 
drift  timber  had  lodged.  He  dived  under  the  raft,  and 
after  several  efforts,  got  his  head  above  water  amongst  the 
trunks  of  trees,  covered  over  with  smaller  wood  to  the  depth 
of  several  feet.  Scarcely  had  he  secured  himself  when  the 
Indians  arrived  on  the  river,  screeching  and  yelling, 
as  Colter  expressed  it,  like  so  many  devils/  They  were 
frequently  on  the  raft  during  the  day,  and  were  seen 
through  the  chinks  by  Colter,  who  was  congratulating  him- 
self on  his  escape,  until  the  idea  arose  that  they  might  set 
the  raft  on  fire. 

"In  horrible  suspense  he  remained  until  night,  when 
hearing  no  more  of  the  Indians,  he  dived  from  under  the 
raft,  and  swam  silently  down  the  river  to  a  considerable 
distance,  when  he  landed,  and  traveled  all  night.  Although 
happy  in  having  escaped  from  the  Indians,  his  situation 
was  still  dreadful ;  he  was  completely  naked,  under  a  burn- 
ing sun;  the  soles  of  his  feet  were  entirely  filled  with  the 
thorns  of  the  prickly  pear;  he  was  hungry,  and  had  no 
means  of  killing  game,  although  he  saw  abundance  around 
him,  and  was  at  least  seven  days'  journey  from  Lisa's  fort, 
on  the  Bighorn  branch  of  the  Eoche  Jaune  Eiver.  These 
were  circumstances  under  which  almost  any  man  but  an 
American  hunter  would  have  despaired.  He  arrived  at  the 
fort  in  seven  days,  having  subsisted  on  a  root  much 
esteemed  by  the  Indians  of  the  Missouri,  now  known  by 
naturalists  as  psoralea  esculenta/' 

From  this  time  on  deadly  enmity  toward  the  white  race 
became  the  settled  policy  of  the  Blackfeet  Indians.    There 

(2) 


26  THE    YELLOWSTONE    NATIONAL    PARK. 

is  probably  little  doubt  that  it  was  the  apparent  favoritism 
of  the  white  traders  toward  their  enemies,  the  Crows,  that 
turned  the  scale.  For  this  appearance  the  action  of  Lisa 
in  building  his  first  post  in  Crow  territory,  and  Colter's 
accidental  presence  in  the  ranks  of  the  Crows  when  these 
Indians  were  attacked  by  the  Blackfeet,  are  mainly  respon- 
sible. Colter  thus  became  in  part  the  involuntary  cause  of 
that  deadly  feud  which  lasted  beyond  the  lifetime  of  any 
of  his  contemporaries. 

Colter  remained  on  the  upper  rivers  until  after  Lisa's 
return  in  the  summer  of  1809  with  an  extensive  outfit  of 
the  newly  forjned  St.  Louis  jMissouri  Fur  Company.  But 
he  ver}^  wisely  abandoned  the  country  before  the  disastrous 
events  of  IS  10  at  the  Three  Forks  of  the  Missouri.  Ke  set 
out  for  St.  Louis  about  April  1st  of  that  year,  and  made 
the  descent  of  the  rivers  in  thirty  days,  a  distance,  accord- 
ing to  his  own  estimate,  of  some  three  thousand  miles. 
He  remained  in  St.  Louis  for  a  considerable  time,  and 
evidently  talked  a  great  deal  about  his  adventures.  He 
gave  Clark  important  data  for  his  forthcoming  map  of  the 
Lewis  and  Clark  expedition.  He  succeeded  in  making  him- 
self accounted  a  confirmed  prevaricator.  No  author  or 
map-maker  would  jeopardize  the  success  of  his  work  by 
incorporating  in  it  such  incredible  material  as  Colter  fur- 
nished. His  stories  were  not  believed;  their  author  became 
the  subject  of  jest  and  ridicule;  and  the  region  of  his 
adventures  was  long  derisively  known  as  "Colter's  Hell.'** 


*  This  name  early  came  to  be  restricted  to  the  locality  where 
Ck)lter  discovered  the  tar  spring  on  the  Shoshone,  probably 
because  few  trappers  ever  saw  the  other  similar  localities  vis- 
ited by  him.  But  Coltei^s  descriptions,  so  well  summed  up  by 
Irving  in  his  "Captain  Bonneville,"  undouMedly  refer  in  large 
part  to  what  he  saw  in  the  Yellowstone  and  Snake  River 
Valleys 


JOHN   COLTER.  27 

Among  those  who  esteemed  Colter's  accounts  of  siifB- 
cient  importance  to  merit  attention  may  be  mentioned  Gen. 
William  Clark,  Henry  M.  Brackenridge,  the  author,  and 
John  Bradbury,  the  English  naturalist.  He  was  seen  by 
Bradbury  in  the  spring  of  1810,  immediately  after  his 
return  to  St.  Louis.  Bradbury  also  spent  the  forenoon  of 
March  18,  1811,  with  Colter  while  en  route  up  the  Missouri 
with  the  Astoria  expedition  of  that  year.  Colter  had  lately 
married  and  was  living  near  the  river  above  the  point  where 
the  little  creek  La  Charette  empties  into  the  main  stream. 
He  was  full  of  admonitions  in  regard  to  the  Blackfeet,  and 
urged  the  most  careful  measures  to  prevent  trouble  with 
them.  As  he  saw  the  well  appointed  expedition  setting  out 
for  the  mountains,  the  old  fever  seized  him  again  and  he 
was  upon  the  point  of  joining  the  party.  But  what  the 
hardships  of  the  wilderness  and  the  pleasures  of  civilization 
could  not  dissuade  him  from  doing,  the  charms  of  a  newl}'- 
married  wife  easily  accomplished.  Colter  remained  be- 
hind; and  here  the  curtain  of  oblivion  falls  upon  the  dis- 
coverer of  the  Yellowstone.* 


*  This  is  the  last  positive  record  that  we  have  of  John 
Colter.  In  the  Louisiana  Gazette,  St.  I^uis,  December  11, 1813, 
there  appeared  a  notice  by  the  administrator  of  the  estate  of 
"John  Coulter,  deceased,"  calling  for  a  settlement  of  all  claims 
for  or  against  the  estate.  The  final  settlement  left  a  balance 
in  favor  of  the  estate  of  $229.41%.  The  deceased  may  or  may 
not  have  been  the  subject  of  this  sketch. 


CHAPTEE  IV. 

THE  TRADER  AND  TRAPrER. 

For  fifty  years  after  Lewis  and  Clark  returned  from 
their  expedition,  the  headwaters  of  the  Yellowstone  re- 
mained unexplored  except  by  the  trader  and  trapper.  It 
was  the  traffic  in  peltries  that  first  induced  extensive  ex- 
ploration of  the  West.  Concerning  the  precious  metals,  the 
people  seem  to  have  had  little  faith  in  their  abundant 
existence  there,  and  no  organized  search  for  them 
was  made  in  the  earlier  years  of  the  century.  But  that 
country,  even  in  its  unsettled  state,  had  other  and  impor- 
tant sources  of  wealth.  Myriads  of  beaver  inhabited  the 
streams  and  innumerable  buffalo  roamed  the  valleys.  The 
buffalo  furnished  the  trapper  with  means  of  subsistence, 
and  beaver  furs  were  better  than  mines  of  gold.  Far  in 
advance  of  the  tide  of  settlement  the  lonely  trapper,  and 
after  him  the  trader,  penetrated  the  unknown  West.  Grad- 
ually the  enterprise  of  individuals  crystallized  around  a 
few  important  nuclei  and  there  grew  up  those  great  fur- 
trading  companies  which  for  many  years  exercised  a  kind 
of  paternal  sway  over  the  Indians  and  the  scarcely  more 
civilized  trappers.  A  brief  resume  of  the  history  of  these 
companies  will  show  how  important  a  place  they  occupy  in 
the  early  history  of  the  Upper  Yellowstone. 

The  climax  of  the  western  fur  business  may  be  placed 
at  about  the  year  1830.  At  that  time  three  great  companies 
operated  in  territories  whose  converging  lines  of  separation 
centered  in  the  region  about  Yellowstone  Lake.  The  oldest 
and  most  important  of  them,  and  the  one  destined  to  out- 


THE  TRADER  AND  TRAPPER.  29 

live  the  others,  was  the  \vorld-reno\\Tied  Hudson's  Bay 
Company.  It  was  at  that  time  more  than  a  century  and  a 
half  old.  Its  earlier  history  was  in  marked  contrast  with 
that  of  later  years.  Secure  in  the  monopoly  which  its 
extensive  charter  rights  guaranteed,  it  had  been  content 
with  substantia]  profits  and  had  never  pushed  its  business 
far  into  the  new  territorv'  nor  managed  it  with  aggressive 
vigor.  It  was  not  until  forced  to  action  by  the  encroa>ch- 
ments  of  a  dangerous  rival  that  it  became  the  prodigious 
power  of  later  times. 

This  rival  was  the  great  jSTorthwest  Fur  Company  of 
Montreal.  It  had  grown  up  since  the  French  and  Indian 
War,  partly  as  a  result  of  that  conflict,  and  finally  took 
corporate  form  in  1787.  It  had  none  of  the  important 
territorial  rights  of  the  Hudson's  Bay  Company,  but  its 
lack  of  monopoly  was  more  than  made  up  by  the  enterprise 
of  its  promoters.  With  its  bands  of  Canadian  frontiersmen, 
it  boldly  penetrated  the  northwest  and  paid  little  respect  to 
those  territorial  rights  which  its  venerable  rival  was  power- 
less to  enforce.  It  rapidly  extended  its  operations  far  into 
the  unexplored  interior.  Lewis  and  Clark  found  its  traders 
among  the  Mandans  in  180-1:.  In  1811  the  Astorians 
saw  its  first  party  descend  the  Columbia  to  the  sea.  Two 
years  later  the  American  traders  on  the  Pacifi.c  Coast  were 
forced  to  succumb  to  their  British  rivals. 

A  long  and  bitter  strife  now  ensued  between  the  two 
British  companies.  It  even  assumed  the  magnitude  of 
civil  war,  and  finally  resulted  in  a  frightful  massacre  of 
unoffending  colonists.  The  British  government  interfered 
and  forced  the  rivals  into  court,  where  they  were  brought 
to  the  verge  of  ruin  by  protracted  litigation.  A  compro- 
mise was  at  last  effected  in  1821  by  an  amalgamation  of  the 
two  companies  under  the  name  of  the  older  rival. 


30  T?TE    YELLOWSTONE    NATIONAL    PARK. 

But  in  the  meantime  a  large  part  of  their  best  fur 
country  had  been  lost.  In  1816  the  government  of  the 
United  States  excluded  British  traders  from  its  territory 
cast  of  the  Eocky  Mountains.  To  the  west  of  this  limit, 
however,  the  amalgamated  company  easily  forced  all  its 
rivals  from  the  field.  Xo  American  fur  company  ever 
attained  the  splendid  organization,  nor  the  influence  over 
the  Indians,  possessed  by  the  Hudson's  Bay  Company.  At 
the  time  of  which  we  write  it  was  master  of  the  trade  in 
the  Columbia  Eiver  Valley,  and  the  eastern  limit  of  its 
operations  within  the  territory  of  the  United  States  was 
nearly  coincident  with  the  present  western  boundary  of 
the  Yellowstone  Park. 

The  second  of  the  great  companies  to  which  reference 
has  been  made  was  the  American  Fur  Company.  It  was 
the  final  outcome  of  John  Jacob  Astor's  various  attempts 
to  control  the  fur  trade  of  the  United  States.  Although  it 
was  incorporated  in  1808,  it  was  for  a  time  overshadowed 
by  the  more  brilliant  enterprises  known  as  the  Pacific  Pur 
Company  and  the  Southwest  Fur  Company.  The  history 
of  Mr.  Astor's  Pacific  Fur  Company,  the  dismal  experi- 
ences of  the  Astorians,  and  the  deplorable  failure  of  the 
whole  undertalcing,  are  matters  familiar  to  all  readers  of 
Irving^s  "Astoria.'^ 

The  other  project  gave  for  a  time  more  substantial 
promise  of  success.  A  British  company  of  considerable 
importance,  under  the  name  of  the  Mackinaw  Company, 
with  headquarters  at  Michilimacinac,  had  for  some  time 
operated  in  the  country  about  the  headwaters  of  the  Missis- 
sippi now  included  in  the  States  of  Wisconsin  and  Min- 
nesota. Astor  formed  a  new  company,  partly  with  Amer- 
ican and  partly  with  Canadian  capital,  bought  out  the 
Mackinaw  Company  and  changed  its  name  to  Southwest 


THE  TRADER  AND  TRAPPER.  31 

Fur  Company.  But  scarcely  had  its  promising  career 
begun  when  it  was  cut  short  by  the  War  of  1812. 

The  failure  of  these  two  attempts  caused  Mr.  Astor  to 
turn  to  the  old  American  Fur  Company.  The  exclusion 
Act  of  1816  enabled  him  to  buy  at  his  own  price  the  North- 
west Fur  Company's  posts  on  the  upper  rivers.,  and  the 
American  Company  rapidly  extended  its  trade  over  all  the 
country,  from  Lake  Superior  to  tlie  Rocky  ^lountains.  Its 
posts  multiplied  in  every  direction,  and  at  an  early  date 
steamboats  began  to  do  its  business  up  the  Missouri  River 
from  St.  Louis.  It  gradually  absorbed  lesser  concerns, 
such  as  the  ^lissouri  Fur  Company,  and  the  Columbia  Fur 
Company,  and  by  1830  was  complete  master  of  the  trade 
throughout  the  Missouri  Valley.  In  1834,  Astor  sold  liis 
interests  to  Pratte,  Chouteau  and  Company,  of  St.  Louis, 
and  retired  from  the  business.  At  this  time  the  general 
western  limit  of  the  territory  operated  in  by  tliis  foriii id- 
able  company  was  the  northern  and  eastern  slope  of  the 
mountains  which  bound  the  Yellow^stone  Park  on  the  north 
and  east.  Its  line  of  operations  was  down  the  river  to 
St.  Louis,  and  its  trading  posts  were  located  at  freciuont 
intervals  between. 

The  third  of  the  great  rival  companies  was  the  Rocky 
Mountain  Fur  Company,  whicli  was  founded  in  St.  Louis 
in  1822  by  Gen.  W.  H.  Ashley,  and  received  its  full  organ- 
ization in  182 G  under  the  direction  of  Jedediah  S.  Smith, 
David  Jackson  pnd  William  L.  Sublette.  Among  the  lead- 
ing spirits,  who  at  one  time  or  another  guided  its  affairs, 
was  the  famous  mountaineer,  James  Bridger,  to  whom 
frequent  reference  will  be  made. 

This  company  had  its  general  center  of  operations  on  the 
headwaters  of  Green  River  to  the  west  of  South  Pass. 
Unlike  the  other  companies^  it  had  no  na\igable  stream 


32  TttE   YELLOWSTONE    NATIONAL   PARK. 

along  which  it  could  establish  posts  and  conduct  its  opera- 
tions. By  the  necessities  of  its  exclusively  mountain  trade 
it  developed  a  new  feature  of  the  fur  business.  The 
voyageur,  with  his  canoe  and  oar,  gave  way  to  the  moun- 
taineer, with  his  saddle  and  rifle.  The  trading  post  was 
replaced  by  the  annual  "rendezvous,"  which  was  in  many 
points  the  forerunner  of  the  later  cattle  "roundups'*  of  the 
plains.  These  rendezvous  were  agreed  upon  each  year  at 
localities  best  suited  to  the  convenience  of  the  trade. 
Hither  in  the  spring  came  from  the  east  convoys  of  supplies 
for  the  season's  use.  Hither  repaired  also  the  various 
parties  of  hunters  and  trappers  and  such  bands  of  Indians 
as  roamed  in  the  vicinity.  These  meetings  were  great 
occasions,  both  in  the  transaction  of  business  and  in  the 
round  of  festivities  that  always  prevailed.  After  the  traffic 
of  the  occasion  was  over,  and  the  plans  for  the  ensuing  year 
were  agreed  upon,  the  convoys  returned  to  the  States  and 
the  trappers  to  their  retreats  in  the  mountains.  The  field 
of  operations  of  this  company  was  very  extensive  and 
included  about  all  of  the  West  not  controlled  by  the  Hud- 
son's Bay  and  American  Fur  Companies. 

Thus  was  the  territory  of  the  great  West  practically 
parceled  out  among  these  three  companies.  It  must  not 
be  supposed  that  there  was  any  agreement,  tacit  or  open, 
that  each  company  should  keep  within  certain  limits. 
There  were  a  few  temporary  arrangements  of  this  sort,  but 
for  the  most  part  each  company  maintained  the  right  to 
work  in  any  territory  it  saw  fit,  and  there  was  constant 
invasion  by  each  of  the  proper  territories  of  the  other.  But 
the  practical  necessities  of  the  business  kept  them,  broadly 
speaking,  within  the  limits  which  we  have  noted.  The 
roving  bands  of  "free  trappers"  and  "lone  traders/'  and 
individual  expeditions  like  those  of  Captain  Bonneville  and 


Tetox  Mountains  and  Jackson  Lake. 


THE  TRADER  AND  TRAPPER.  33 

Nathaniel  J.  Wyeth,  acknowledged  allegiance  to  none  of 
the  great  organizations,  but  wandered  where  they  chose, 
dealing  by  turns  with  each  of  the  companies. 

The  vigor  and  enterprise  of  these  traders  caused  their 
business  to  penetrate  the  remotest  and  most  inaccessible 
corners  of  the  land.  Sillimans  Journal  for  January,  1834, 
declares  that — 

^'The  mountains  and  forests,  from  the  Arctic  Sea  to  the 
Gulf  of  Mexico,  are  threaded  through  every  maze  by  the 
hunter.  Every  river  and  tributary  stream,  from  the 
Columbia  to  the  Eio  del  Xorte,  and  from  the  Mackenzie  to 
the  Colorado  of  the  West,  from  their  headwaters  to  their 
junctions,  are  searched  and  trapped  for  beaver." 

That  a  business  of  such  all-pervading  character  should 
have  left  a  region  like  our  present  Yellowstone  Park  unex- 
plored would  seem  extremely  doubtful.  That  region  lay,  a 
sort  of  neutral  ground,  between  the  territories  of  the  rival 
fur  companies.  Its  streams  abounded  in  beaver;  and, 
although  hemmed  in  by  vast  mountains,  and  snow-bound 
most  of  the  year,  it  could  not  have  escaped  discovery.  In 
fact,  every  part  of  it  was  repeatedly  visited  by  trappers. 
Eendezvous  were  held  on  every  side  of  it,  and  once,  it  is 
believed,  in  Hayden  Valley,  just  north  of  Yellowstone 
Lake.  Had  the  fur  business  been  more  enduring,  the  geyser 
regions  would  have  become  known  at  least  a  generation 
Booner  than  they  were. 

But  a  business  carried  on  with  such  relentless  vigor 
naturally  soon  taxed  the  resources  of  nature  beyond  its 
capacity  for  reproduction.  In  regions  under  the  control 
of  a  single  organization,  as  in  the  vast  domains  of  the 
Hudson's  Bay  Company,  great  care  was  taken  to  preserve 
the  fur-bearing  animals  from  extinction;  but  in  United 
^States  territory,  the  exigencies  of  competition  made  any 


34  THE    YELLOWSTONE    NATIONAL    PARK. 

such  provision  impossible.  The  poor  beaver,  as  at  a  later 
day  the  buffalo,  quickly  succumbed  to  his  ubiquitous 
enemies.  There  was  no  spot  remote  enough  for  him  to 
build  his  dam  in  peace,  and  the  once  innumerable  multi- 
tude speedily  dwindled  away.  The  few  years  immediately 
preceding  and  following  1830  were  the  halcyon  days  of  the 
fur  trade  in  the  United  States.  Thenceforward  it  rapidly 
declined,  and  by  1850  had  shrunk  to  a  mere  shadow  of 
its  former  greatness.  With  its  disappearance  the  early 
knowledge  of  the  Upper  Yellowstone  also  disappeared. 
Subsequent  events — ^the  Mormon  emigration,  the  war  with 
Mexico,  and  the  discovery  of  gold — drew  attention,  both 
private  and  official,  in  other  directions;  and  the  great 
wonderland  became  again  almost  as  much  unknown  as  in 
the  days  of  Lewis  and  Clark. 


CHAPTER  V. 

EARLY  KNOWLEDGE  OF  THE  YELLOWSTONE. 

On  the  west  bank  of  the  Yellowstone  River,  a  quarter  of 
a  mile  above  the  Upper  Falls,  in  a  ravine  now  crossed  by 
a  lofty  wooden  bridge,  stands  a  tree,  on  which  is  the  oldest 
record,  except  that  of  Colter,  of  the  presence  of  white  men 
within  the  limits  of  the  Park.  It  is  an  inscription,  giving 
the  initials  of  a  name  and  the  date  when  inscribed.  It  was 
discovered  in  1880  by  Col.  P.  W.  Norris,  then  Superintend- 
ent of  the  Park.  It  is  now  practically  illegible  from  over- 
growth, although  some  of  the  characters  can  still  be  made 
out.  Col.  Norris,  who  saw  it  in  the  year  1880,  claims  to 
have  successfully  deciphered  it.  He  verified  the  date  by 
counting  the  annual  rings  on  another  tree  near  by,  which 
bore  hatchet  marks,  presumably  of  the  same  date.  The 
time  that  had  elapsed  since  these  cuts  were  made  corre- 
sponded well  with  the  inscribed  date.    The  inscription  was : 

JOR 

Aug  19  1S19 

Efforts  have  been  made  to  trace  this  inscription  to  some 
of  the  early  noted  trappers,  but  the  attempt  can  hardly 
succeed.  Even  if  an  identity  of  initials  were  established,  the 
identity  of  individuals  would  still  remain  in  doubt.  Noth- 
ing short  of  some  authentic  record  of  such  a  visit  as  must 
have  taken  place  can  satisfy  the  requirements  of  the  case. 
In  the  absence  of  any  such  record,  the  most  that  can  be 
said  is  that  the  inscription  is  proof  positive  that  the  Park 
country  was  visited  by  white  men,  after  Colter's  time,  fully 
fifty  years  before  its  final  discovery. 


36  THE   YELLOWSTONE   NATIONAL   PARK. 

Col.  Norris'  researches  disclosed  other  sirailar  evidence, 
although  in  no  other  instance  with  so  plain  a  clue  as  to 
date.  Near  Beaver  Lake  and  Obsidian  Cliff,  he  found,  in 
1878,  a  cache  of  marten  traps  of  an  old  pattern  used  by  the 
Hudson's  Bay  Company  trappers  fifty  years  before.  He  also 
examined  the  ruins  of  an  ancient  block-house  discovered  by 
Frederick  Bottler  at  the  base  of  Mt.  Washburn,  near  the 
Grand  Caiion  of  the  Yellowstone.  Its  decayed  condition 
indicated  great  age.  In  other  places  the  stumps  of  trees, 
old  logs  used  to  cross  streams,  and  many  similar  proofs 
were  brought  to  light  by  that  inveterate  ranger  of  the 
'wilderness. 

The  Washburn  party,  in  1870,  discovered  on  the  east 
bank  of  the  Yellowstone,  just  above  Mud  Geyser,  the 
remains  of  a  pit,  probably  once  used  for  concealment  in 
shooting  water  fowl. 

A  book  called  "The  Eiver  of  the  West,''*  published  in 
1871,  but  copyrighted  in  1869,  before  the  publication  of 
any  modem  account  of  the  geyser  regions,  contains  the 
record  of  an  adventure  in  the  Yellowstone  country  about 
the  year  1829.  The  book  is  a  biography  of  one  Joseph 
Meek,  a  trapper  and  pioneer  of  considerable  note.  The 
adventure  to  which  reference  is  made  took  place  in  1829, 
and  was  the  result  of  a  decision  by  the  Eock}^  Mountain 
Fur  Company  to  retire  from  competition  with  the  Hud- 
son's Bay  Company  in  the  Snake  Eiver  Valley.  In  leav- 
ing the  country,  Capt.  William  Sublette,  the  chief  partner, 
led  his  party  up  Henry  Fork,  across  the  Madison  and  Gal- 
latin Elvers,  to  the  high  ridge  overlooking  the  Yellowstone, 
at  some  point  near  the  present  Cinnabar  Mountain.  Here 
the  party  was  dispersed  by  a  band  of  Blackfeet,  and  Meek, 


*  By  Mrs.  Frances  Fuller  Victor,  an  eminent  authority  upon 
the  history  of  the  Northwest  coast- 


EAHLY  KNOWLEDGE  OF  THE  YELLOWSTONE.  37 

one  of  its  members,  became  separated  from  his  compan- 
ions. He  had  lost  his  horse  and  most  of  his  equipment, 
and  in  this  condition  he  wandered  for  several  days,  with- 
out food  or  shelter,  until  he  was  found  by  two  of  his 
companions.  His  route  lay  in  a  southerly  direction,  to  the 
eastward  of  the  Yellowstone,  at  some  distance  back  from 
the  river.  On  the  morning  of  the  fifth  day  he  had  the  fol- 
lowing experience : 

"Being  desirous  to  learn  something  of  the  progress  he 
had  made,  he  ascended  a  low  mountain  in  the  neighbor- 
hood of  his  camp,  and  behold!  the  whole  country  beyond 
was  smoking  with  vapor  from  boiling  springs,  and  burning 
with  gases  issuing  from  small  craters,  each  of  which  was 
emitting  a  sharp,  whistling  sound.  When  the  first  sur- 
prise of  this  astonishing  scene  had  passed,  Joe  began  to 
admire  its  effect  from  an  artistic  point  of  view.  The 
morning  being  clear,  with  a  sharp  frost,  he  thought  him- 
self reminded  of  the  city  of  Pittsburg,  as  he  had  beheld  it 
on  a  winter  morning,  a  couple  of  years  before.  This,  how- 
ever, related  only  to  the  rising  smoke  and  vapor;  for  the 
extent  of  the  volcanic  region  was  immense,  reaching  far 
out  of  sight.  The  general  face  of  the  country  was  smooth 
and  rolling,  being  a  level  plain,  dotted  with  cone-shaped 
mounds.  On  the  summit  of  these  mounds  were  small  craters 
from  four  to  eight  feet  in  diameter.  Interspersed  among 
these  on  the  level  plain  were  larger  craters,  some  of  them 
from  four  to  six  miles  across.  Out  of  these  craters  issued 
blue  flames  and  molten  brimstone."* 

Making  some  allowance  for  the  trapper's  tendency  to 
exaggeration,  we  recognize  in  tliis  description  the  familiar 
picture  of  the  hot  springs  districts.     The  precise  location 

♦  Page  75,  "River  of  the  West." 


38  THE    YELLOWSTONE    NATIONAL   PARK. 

is  difficult  to  determine;  but  Meek^s  previous  wanderings, 
and  the  subsequent  route  of  himself  and  his  companions 
whom  he  met  here,  show  conclusively  that  it  was  one  of 
the  numerous  districts  east  of  the  Yellowstone,  which  were 
possibly  then  more  active  than  now. 

This  book  affords  much  other  evidence  of  early  knowl- 
edge of  the  country  immediately  bordering  the  present 
Park.  The  Great  Bend  of  the  Yellowstone  where  Living- 
ston now  stands^  was  already  a  famous  rendezvous,  and 
the  Gardiner  and  Firehole  Elvers  were  well  known  to  the 
trappers. 

In  the  Louisiana  Gazette,  of  St.  Louis^  February  28, 
1811,  is  an  article  upon  Louisiana  from  the  pen  of  a  then 
popular  writer,  Henry  M.  Brackenridge.  In  it  occurs  a 
reference  to  this  region  which  no  doubt  originated  with 
John  Colter :  "I  think  it  probable  that,  on  a  close  examina- 
tion of  the  country,  evident  traces  of  extinguished  vol- 
canoes will  be  discovered.  Mr.  Lisa  informs  me  that  about 
sixty  miles  from  his  fort  (at  the  mouth  of  the  Bighorn) 
there  is  a  volcano  that  actually  emits  flames.  In  this  tract 
immense  quantities  of  sulphur  can  be  procured.  It  is  not 
only  found  in  caves,  but  can  be  scraped  off  the  prairie  in 
the  manner  of  salt.""  This  is  only  one  of  a  number  of 
references  from  early  writings  that  indicate  the  presence 
of  volcanic  activity  on  a  moribund  scale  in  the  Rocky 
Mountains  as  late  as  the  beginning  of  the  Nineteenth 
Century. 

Among  the  employes  of  the  American  Fur  Company  in 
the  decade  from  1830  to  1840,  was  one  AVarren  Angus 
Ferris,  clerk,  to  whom  belongs  the  honor  of  having  written 
the  first  actual  description  of  the  Firehole  Geyser  Basins. 
Ferris  was  attached  to  the  mountain  expeditions  of  the 
American  Fur  Company,  and^in  the  course  of  his  five 


EAELY  KNOWLEDGE  OF  THE  YELLOWSTONE.  39 

years'  service  (1831-5)  saw  pretty  nearly  all  the  country 
ai'ound  the  Yellowstone  Park.  He  had  heard  rumors  of 
the  strange  phenomena  which  are  now  so  well  known,  and 
in  the  spring  of  1834,  while  returning  south  from  the 
Flathead  country,  where  he  had  spent  the  winter,  he  made 
a  visit  to  the  geyser  basins  for  the  purpose  of  verifying  or 
refuting  these  reports.  He  made  the  journey  from  a  point 
near  where  Beaver  Canon  Station,  on  the  Utah  Northern 
Railroad,  now  stands,  and  traveled  almost  west  to  the 
geyser  basins.  He  was  among  the  geysers  on  the  20th  of 
May,  1834.  In  spite  of  some  discrepancies  in  his  account, 
it  is  reasonably  certain  that  the  point  visited  was  the  Upper 
Geyser  Basin.    Following  is  his  narrative  of  the  visit:* 

*'I  had  heard  in  the  summer  of  1833,  while  at  rendez- 
vous, that  remarkable  boiling  springs  had  been  discovered 
on  the  sources  of  the  Madison,  by  a  party  of  trappers,  in 
their  spring  hunt;  of  which  the  accounts  they  gave,  were 
so  very  astonishing,  that  I  determined  to  examine  them 
myself,  before  recording  their  description,  though  I  had 
the  united  testimony  of  more  than  twenty  men  on  the 
subject,  who  all  declared  they  saw  them,  and  that  they 
really  were  as  extensive  and  remarkable  as  they  had  been 
described.  Having  now  an  opportunity  of  paying  them  a 
visit,  and  as  another  or  a  better  might  not  occur,  I  parted 


•  Ferris  followed  the  practice  of  keeping  a  journal,  and  after 
his  return  from  the  mountains  published  it  in  the  Western 
Literary  Messenger,  of  Buffalo,  New  York.  The  article  quoted 
below  was  republished  in  the  Wasp,  of  Nauvoo,  Illinois,  a 
Mormon  paper,  August  13,  1842,  and  later  became  well  known. 
Where  it  came  from,  or  who  its  author  was,  no  one  in  recent 
years  knew  until  in  the  fall  of  1900  the  series  of  articles  in  the 
Literary  Messenger  was  discovered  by  Mr.  O.  D.  Wheeler,  of 
St.  Paul.  Ferris  was  born  at  Glen  Falls,  N.  Y.,  Dec.  20,  1810; 
and  died  at  Reinhardt,  Texas,  February  8,  1873. 


40  THE    YELLOWSTONE    NATIONAL    PARK. 

with  the  company  after  supper,  and  taking  with  me  two 
Fend  d'Oreilles  (who  were  induced  to  take  the  excursion 
with  me,  by  the  promise  of  an  extra  present,)  set  out  at  a 
round  pace,  the  night  being  -clear  and  comfortable.  Wo 
proceeded  over  the  plain  about  twenty  miles,  and  halted 
until  daylight,  on  a  fine  spring,  flowing  into  Camas  Creek. 
Eefreshed  by  a  few  hours'  sleep,  we  started  again  after  a 
hasty  breakfast,  and  entered  a  very  extensive  forest,  called 
the  Pine  Woods;  (a  continued  succession  of  low  mountains 
or  hills,  entirely  covered  with  a  dense  growth  of  this  species 
of  timber;)  which  we  passed  through  and  reached  the 
vicinity  of  the  springs  about  dark,  having  seen  several  lakes 
or  ponds  on  the  sources  of  the  Madison^  and  rode  about 
forty  miles;  which  was  a  hard  day's  ride,  taking  into 
consideration  the  rough  irregularity  of  the  country  through 
which  we  traveled. 

^'\Ve  regaled  ourselves  with  a  cup  of  coffee,  the  materials 
for  making  which  we  had  brought  with  us,  and  immediately 
after  supper,  lay  down  to  rest,  sleepy  and  much  fatigued. 
The  continual  roaring  of  the  springs,  however,  (which  was 
distinctly  heard,)  for  some  time  prevented  my  going  to 
sleep,  and  excited  an  impatient  curiosity  to  examine  them, 
which  I  was  obliged  to  defer  the  gratification  of  until 
morning,  and  filled  my  slumbers  with  visions  of  water- 
spouts, cataracts,  fountains,  jets  d'eau  of  immense 
dimensions,  etc.,  etc. 

^^WTien  I  arose  in  the  morning,  clouds  of  vapor  seemed 
like  a  dense  fog  to  overhang  the  springs,  from  which 
frequent  reports  or  explosions  of  different  loudness,  con- 
stantly assailed  our  ears.  I  immediately  proceeded  to 
inspect  them,  and  might  have  exclaimed  with  the  Queen 
of  Sheba,  when  their  full  reality  of  dimensions  and  novelty 
burst  upon  my  view,  'the  half _ was  not  told  me.' 


EARLY   KNOWLEDGE  OF  THE  YELLOWSTONE.  41 

^-'From  the  surface  of  a  rocky  plain  or  table,  burst  forth 
columns  of  water,  of  various  dimensions,  projecting  high 
in  the  air,  accompanied  by  loud  explosions,  and  sulphurous 
vapors,  which  were  liighly  disagreeable  to  the  smell.  The 
rock  from  which  these  springs  burst  forth  was  calcareous, 
and  probably  extended  some  distance  from  them,  beneath 
the  soil.  The  largest  of  these  beautiful  fountains  projects 
a  column  of  boiling  water  several  feet  in  diameter,  to  the 
height  of  more  than  one  hundred  and  fifty  feet,  in  my 
opinion ;  but  the  party  of  Alvarez,*  who  discovered  it,  persist 
in  declaring  that  it  could  not  be  less  than  four  times  that 
distance  in  height — accompanied  with  a  tremendous  noise. 
These  explosions  and  discharges  occur  at  intervals  of  about 
two  hours.  After  having  witnessed  three  of  them,  I  ven- 
tured near  enough  to  put  my  hand  into  the  waters  of  its 
basin,  but  withdrew  it  instantly,  for  the  heat  of  the  water 
in  this  immense  chaldron  was  altogether  too  great  for  my 
comfort;  and  the  agitation  of  the  water,  the  disagreeable 
effluvium  continually  exuding,  and  the  hollow,  unearthly 
rumbling  under  the  rock  on  which  I  stood,  so  ill  accorded 
with  my  notions  of  personal  safety,  that  I  retreated  back 
precipitately  to  a  respectful  distance.  The  Indians,  who 
were  with  me,  were  quite  appalled,  and  could  not  by  any 
means  be  induced  to  approach  them.  They  seemed  aston- 
ished at  my  presumption  in  advancing  up  to  the  large  one, 
and  when  I  safely  returned,  congratulated  me  upon  my 
'narrow  escape.^  They  believed  them  to  be  supernatural 
and  supposed  them  to  be  the  production  of  the  Evil  Spirit. 
One  of  them  remarked  that  hell,  of  which  he  had  heard 
from  the  whites,  must  be  in  that  vicinity.  The  diameter  of 
the  basin  into  which  the  waters  of  the  largest  jet  prin- 
cipally fall,  and  from  the  center  of  which,  through  a  hole 

*  An  American  Fur  Company  clerk. 

(2*) 


42  THE    YELLOWSTONE    NATIONAL    PARK. 

in  the  lock,  of  about  nine  or  ten  feet  in  diameter,  the  water 
spouts  up  as  above  related,  may  be  about  thirty  feet.  There 
are  many  other  smaller  fountains,  that  did  not  throw  their 
waters  up  so  high,  but  occurred  at  shorter  intervals.  In 
some  instances  the  volumes  were  projected  obliquely 
upward,  and  fell  into  the  neighboring  fountains,  or  on  the 
rock  or  prairie.  But  their  ascent  was  generally  perpendic- 
ular, falling  in  and  about  their  own  basins  or  apertures. 

•^These  wonderful  productions  of  nature  are  situated 
near  the  center  of  a  small  valley,  surrounded  by  pine- 
covered  hills,  through  which  a  small  fork  of  the  Madison 
flows." 

Here  we  have  a  description  free  from  exaggeration  and 
reasonably  true  to  the  facts.  No  one  who  has  seen  the 
Upper  Geyser  Basin  will  question  its  general  correctness. 
The  writer  then  goes  on  to  relate  what  he  has  learned  from 
others,  but  here  exaggeration  creeps  in  and  this  part  of  his 
narrative  is  less  reliable.    It  continues : 

*Trom  several  trappers  who  had  recently  returned  from 
the  Yellow  Stone,  I  received  an  account  of  boiling  springs 
that  differ  from  those  seen  on  Salt  River  only  in  magni- 
tude, being  on  a  vastly  larger  scale;  some  of  their  cones 
are  from  twenty  to  thirty  feet  high,  and  forty  to  fifty  paces 
in  circumference.  Those  which  have  ceased  to  emit  boil- 
ing water,  vapor,  etc.,  of  which  there  were  several,  are  full  of 
slielving  cavities,  even  some  fathoms  in  extent,  which  give 
them,  inside,  an  appearance  of  honey-comb.  The  ground 
for  several  acres'  extent  in  vicinity  of  the  springs  is  evi- 
dently hollow,  and  constantly  exhales  a  hot  steam  or  vapor 
of  disagreeable  odor,  and  a  character  entirely  to  prevent 
vegetation.  They  are  situated  in  the  valley  at  the  head  of 
that  river  near  the  lake,  which  constitutes  its  source. 

*'A  shoii  distance  from  these  springs,  near  the  margin  of 


EARLY  KNOWLEDGE  OF  THE  YELLOWSTONE.  43 

the  lake,  there  is  one  quite  different  from  any  yet  described. 
It  is  of  a  circular  form,  several  feet  in  diameter,  clear, 
cold  and  pure;  the  bottom  appears  visible  to  the  eye,  and 
feeems  seven  or  eight  feet  below  the  surface  of  the  earth  or 
water,  without  meeting  any  resistance.  What  is  most 
singular  with  respect  to  this  fountain  is  the  fact  that  at 
regular  intervals  of  about  two  minutes,  a  body  or  column 
of  water  bursts  up  to  the  height  of  eight  feet,  \nth  an 
explosion  as  loud  as  the  report  of  a  musket,  and  then  falls 
back  into  it;  for  a  few  seconds  the  water  is  roily,  but  it 
epeedily  settles  and  becomes  transparent  as  before  the  effu- 
sion. A  slight  tremulous  motion  of  the  water,  and  a  low 
rumbling  sound  from  the  caverns  beneath^  precede  each 
explosion.  This  spring  was  believed  to  be  connected  with 
the  lake  by  some  subterranean  passage,  but  the  cause  of  its 
periodical  eruptions  or  discharges,  is  entirely  unknown. 
I  have  never  before  heard  of  a  cold  spring,  whose  waters 
exhibit  the  phenomena  of  periodical  explosive  propulsion, 
in  form  of  a  jet.  The  geysers  of  Iceland,  and  the  various 
other  European  springs,  the  waters  of  which  are  projected 
upwards,  with  violence  and  uniformity,  as  well  as  those 
seen  on  the  head  waters  of  the  Madison,  are  invariably 
hot." 

The  whole  article  forms  the  most  interesting  and 
authentic  reference  to  the  geyser  regions  published  prior 
to  1870.  It  proves  beyond  question  that  a  knowledge  of 
this  region  existed  among  the  early  trappers,  and  confirms 
our  previous  deduction  that  the  wide  range  of  the  fur 
business  could  not  have  left  it  unexplored. 

A  brief  but  interesting  reference  to  this  region  is  found 
in  the  following  extract  from  a  letter  by  Father  Do  Sinot, 
dated  at  the  University  of  St.  Louis,  January  20,  185?, 
describing  a  journey  made  by  him  in   1851   from  Fort 


44  THE    YELLOTTSTOXE    NATIONAL    PARK. 

Union,  at  the  mouth  of  the  Yellowstone,  to  Fort  Laramie, 
on  the  Platte : 

"Xear  the  source  of  the  River  Puante  [Stinking  Water, 
now  called  Shoshone],  which  empties  into  the  Big  Horn, 
and  the  sulphurous  waters  of  which  have  probably  the  same 
medicinal  qualities  as  the  celebrated  Blue  Lick  Springs  of 
Kentucky,  is  a  place  called  Colter's  Hell — from  a  beaver- 
hunter  of  that  name.  This  locality  is  often  agitated  with 
subterranean  fires.  The  sulphurous  gases  which  escape  in 
great  volumes  from  the  burning  soil  infect  the  atmosphere 
for  several  miles,  and  render  the  earth  so  barren  that  even 
the  wild  wormwood  can  not  grow  on  it.  The  beaver-hunters 
have  assured  me  that  the  underground  noises  and  explo- 
fiions  are  often  frightful. 

"However,  I  think  that  the  most  extraordinary  spot  in 
this  respect,  and  perhaps  the  most  marvelous  of  all  the 
northern  half  of  this  continent,  is  in  the  very  heart  of  the 
Eocky  Momitains,  between  the  43d  and  45th  degrees  of 
latitude,  and  the  109th  and  111th  degrees  of  longitude; 
that  it,  between  the  sources  of  the  Madison  and  the  Yellow- 
stone. It  reaches  more  than  a  hundred  miles.  Bituminous, 
sulphurous  and  boiling  springs  are  very  numerous  in  it. 
The  hot  springs  contain  a  large  quantity  of  calcareous 
matter,  and  form  hills  more  or  less  elevated,  wliich 
resemble  in  their  nature,  perhaps,  if  not  in  their  extent, 
the  famous  springs  of  Pemboukkalesi,  in  Asia  Minor,  so 
well  described  by  Chandler.  The  earth  is  thrown  up  very 
high,  and  the  influence  of  the  elements  causes  it  to  take 
the  most  varied  and  the  most  fantastic  shapes.  Gas,  vapor 
and  smoke  are  continually  escaping  by  a  thousand  open- 
ings from  the  base  to  the  summit  of  the  volcanic  pile;  the 
noise  at  times  resembles  the  steam  let  off  by  a  boat.  Strong, 
subterranean  explosions  occur  like  those  in  ^Colter's  Hell/ 


tAULY  KNOWLEDGE  OF  THE  YELLOWSTONE.  46 

The  hunters  and  the  Indians  speak  of  it  with  a  supersti- 
tious fear,  and  consider  it  the  abode  of  evil  spirits,  that  is 
to  say,  a  kind  of  hell.  Indians  seldom  approach  it  without 
offering  some  sacrifice,  or,  at  least,  without  presenting  the 
calumet  of  peace  to  the  turbulent  spirits,  that  they  may  be 
propitious.  They  declare  that  the  subterranean  noises 
proceed  from  the  forging  of  warlike  weapons;  each  erup- 
tion of  the  earth  is,  in  their  eyes,  the  result  of  a  combat 
between  the  infernal  spirits,  and  becomes  the  monument  of 
a  new  victory  or  calamity.  Xear  Gardiner  Eiver,  a  tribu- 
tary of  the  Yellowstone,  and  in  the  vicinity  of  the  region 
I  have  just  been  describing,  there  is  a  mountain  of  sulphur. 
I  have  this  report  from  Captain  Bridger,  who  is  familiar 
with  every  one  of  these  mounds,  having  passed  thirty  years 
of  his  Hfe  near  them.'^ 

This  very  accurate  description  is  the  first  that  defines 
correctly  the  geographical  location  of  the  geyser  regions. 

The  most  comprehensive  of  these  early  references  to  the 
natural  phenomena  of  the  Upper  Yellowstone  is  the  follow- 
ing extract  from  Gunnison's  "History  of  the  Mormons'' 
(1852),  and  comes  directly  from  James  Bridger: 

"He  [Bridger]  gives  a  picture,  most  romantic  and 
enticing,  of  the  head  waters  of  the  Yellowstone.  A  lake, 
sixty  miles  long,  cold  and  pellucid,  lies  embosomed  among 
high  precipitous  mountains.  On  the  west  side  is  a  sloping 
plain,  several  miles  wide,  with  clumps  of  trees  and  groves 
of  pine.  The  ground  resounds  with  the  tread  of  horses. 
Geysers  spout  up  seventy  feet  high,  with  a  terrific,  hissing 
noise,  at  regular  intervals.  Waterfalls  are  sparkling,  leap- 
ing and  thundering  down  the  precipices,  and  collect  in  the 
pool  below.  The  river  issues  from  this  lake,  and  for 
fifteen  miles  roars  through  the  perpendicular  canon  at  the 
outlet.    In  this  section  are  the  'Great  Springs/  so  hot  that 


46  THK    YELLOWSTONE    NATIONAL    PARK. 

meat  is  readily  cooked  in  them,  and  as  they  descend  on 
the  successive  terraces,  afford  at  length  delightful  baths. 
On  the  other  side  is  an  acid  spring,  which  gushes  out  in  a 
river  torrent ;  and  below  is  a  cave,  which  supplies  Vermil- 
lion' for  the  savages  in  abundance."' 

In  this  admirable  summary  we  readily  discover  the 
Yellowstone  Lake,  the  Grand  Caiion,  the  Falls,  the  geyser 
basins,  the  Mammoth  Hot  Springs,  and  Cinnabar  Moun- 
tain. Prior  to  1860,  Bridger  had  related  these  accounts  to 
Captain  Warren,  Captain  Eaynolds,  Doctor  Hayden,  and 
others,  and  although  he  seems  to  have  convinced  these 
gentlemen  that  there  was  something  in  his  stories,  they  still 
attributed  less  to  fact  than  to  fancy. 

There  are  numerous  other  interesting,  though  less  defi- 
nite, references  to  an  early  knowledge  of  the  Yellowstone ; 
but  those  we  have  given  show  their  general  character.  The 
important  fact  to  remember  is  that  this  knowledge  was 
barren  of  result.  For  the  most  part  it  existed  only  in  the 
minds  of  illiterate  men,  and  perished  wdth  them.  It  never 
caught  the  public  ear  and  did  not  in  the  least  degree  hasten 
the  final  discovery. 


CHAPTER  VI. 

JAMES  BRIDGER  AND  HIS  STORIES. 

This  celebrated  hunter,  trader  and  guide,  whose  name 
and  career  are  a  part  of  the  pioneer  history  of  the  West, 
was  thoroughly  familiar  with  the  region  now  comprised  in 
the  Yellowstone  Park.  His  personal  knowledge  of  it  dates 
back  as  far  as  1830.  He  often  visited  it,  not  like  Ferris  in 
a  single  locality,  but  in  all  its  parts,  and  was  well 
acquainted  with  its  wonderful  features.  In  his  efforts  to 
disseminate  the  knowledge  he  had  acquired,  he  was  as  per- 
sistent as  Colter  had  been  before  him,  and  with  little  better 
success.  He  tried  to  get  his  descriptions  before  the  public, 
but  no  periodical  or  newspaper  would  lend  itself  to  his 
service.  The  editor  of  a  leading  western  paper  stated  in 
1879  that  Bridger  had  told  him  of  the  Yellowstone  wonders 
fully  thirty  years  before.  He  prepared  an  article  from  his 
description  and  then  suppressed  it,  because  a  man  who 
claimed  to  know  Bridger  told  him  he  w^ould  be  laughed  out 
of  town  if  he  printed  any  of  ^old  Jim  Bridger's  lies.'  ^'  In 
later  years  this  editor  publicly  apologized  to  Bridger  for 
having  doubted  his  statements. 

Certain  personal  characteristics  of  Bridger  aggravated 
this  lack  of  confidence  in  what  he  said.  He  was  the  great- 
est romancer  of  the  West  in  his  time,  and  his  reckless 
exaggerations  won  for  him  a  reputation  which  he  could  not 
shake  off  when  he  wanted  to.  Accordingly,  the  truths  that 
he  told  about  the  Yellowstone  were  classed  with  his  fairy 
tales  of  the  same  region,  and  both  were  set  down  as  the 
harmless  vaporings  of  a  mind  to  which  truth  had  long  been 
a  stranger. 


48  TtCE   YELLOWSTONE   NATIONAL   PARK. 

Some  of  the  creations  ascribed  to  him  have  survived  to 
this  day.  We  say  "ascribed/^  for  in  reality  they  are  no  one 
person^s  production,  but  are  the  .  development  of  many 
years  and  many  minds.  They  all  have  a  basis  in  fact — the 
"soul  of  truth/^  wliich  a  great  philosopher  has  said  '^exists 
in  things  erroneous/^  In  some  cases  the  basis  is  pretty 
hard  to  discover,  and  it  is  easier  to  believe  the  embellished 
tale  than  its  descent  from  the  fact  when  once  found.  It  is 
stated  by  an  adept  in  this  accomplishment  that  constant 
repetition  and  enlargement  of  liis  imaginary  experiences 
eventually  leads  him  to  believe  them  true,  and  this  may 
have  been  the  case  with  Bridger  himself.  In  any  event,  it 
is  a  fortunate  thing  that  these  stories  grow  and  develop 
with  time,  gravitating  always  from  the  real  to  the  ideal; 
and  he  is  to  be  pitied  who  feels  an  unseemly  anxiety  for 
the  basic  facts  or  would  rob  them  of  a  single  increment 
which  the  rolling  years  have  given  them. 

The  few  that  are  recorded  here  may  be  credited  to 
Bridger  without  exciting  the  envy  of  rival  experts  in  the 
same  line.  The  first  relates  to  the  celebrated  Obsidian 
Cliff,  a  mass  of  black  volcanic  glass  with  which  all  tourists 
in  the  Park  become  familiar.  Its  discovery  by  Bridger  was 
the  result  of  one  of  his  hunting  trips,  and  it  happened  in 
this  wise. 

Coming  one  day  in  sight  of  a  magnificent  elk^  he  took 
careful  aim  at  the  unsuspecting  animal  and  fired.  To  his 
great  amazement,  the  elk  not  only  was  not  wounded,  but 
seemed  not  even  to  have  heard  the  report  of  the  rifle. 
Bridger  drew  considerably  nearer  and  gave  the  elk  the 
benefit  of  his  most  deliberate  aim ;  but  with  the  same  result 
as  before.  A  third  and  a  fourth  effort  met  with  a  similar 
fate.  Utterly  exasperated,  he  seized  his  rifle  by  the  barrel, 
resolved  to  use  it  as  a  club  since  it  had  failed  as  a  firearm. 


JAMES  BRIDGER  AND  HIS  STORIES.  49 

He  rushed  madly  toward  the  elk,  but  suddenly  crashed  into 
an  immovable  vertical  wall  which  proved  to  be  a  mountain 
of  perfectly  transparent  glass,  on  the  farther  side  of  which, 
still  in  peaceful  security,  the  elk  was  quietly  grazing. 
Stranger  still,  the  mountain  was  not  only  of  pure  glass, 
but  was  a  perfect  telescopic  lens,  and,  whereas,  the  elk 
seemed  but  a  few  hundred  3^ards  off,  it  was  in  reality 
twenty-five  miles  away! 

Another  of  Bridger's  discoveries  was  an  ice-cold  spring 
near  the  summit  of  a  lofty  mountain,  the  water  from  which 
liowed  down  over  a  long  smooth  slope,  where  it  acquired 
such  velocity  that  it  was  boiling  hot  when  it  reached  the 
bottom,* 

The  origin  of  the  name  of  Alum  Creek,  a  tributary  of 
the  Yellowstone,  was  due  to  an  accidental  discovery  by 
Bridger.  One  day  he  forded  the  creek  and  rode  out  several 
miles  and  back.  He  noticed  that  the  return  journey  was 
only  a  small  fraction  of  the  distance  going,  and  that  his 
horse's  feet  had  shrunk  to  mere  points  which  sank  into  the 
solid  ground,  so  that  the  animal  could    scarcely    hobble 


*  This  story,  which  is  taken  from  the  report  of  Captain  W.  F. 
Raynolds,  was  one  of  Bridger's  favorites,  and  it  is  even  said 
that  he  did  not  regard  it  as  pleasantry  at  all,  but  as  plain  mat- 
ter of  fact.  Mr.  Langford,  who  often  heard  him  relate  it,  says 
that  he  generally  described  the  stream  as  flowing  over  the 
smooth  surface  of  a  rock,  and  reasoned  that,  as  two  sticks 
rubbed  together  produce  heat  by  friction,  so  the  water  rub- 
bing over  the  rock  became  hot.  In  proof,  he  cited  an  instance 
wher©  the  water  was  hot  only  in  close  proximity  to  the  rock 
and  not  at  the  surface.  Mr.  Langford  found  a  partial  confirm- 
ation of  the  fact,  but  not  of  the  theory,  in  fording  the  Firehole 
River  in  1870.  He  passed  over  the  smooth  deposit  of  an  active 
hot  spring  in  the  bed  of  the  stream,  and  found  that  the  stream 
bottom  and  the  water  in  contact  with  it  were  hot. 
(3) 


50  THE    YELLOWSTOlfE    NATIONAL   PARK. 

along.  Seeking  the  cause  he  found  it  to  be  in  the  astring- 
ent quality  of  the  water,  which  was  saturated  with  alum  to 
such  an  extent  that  it  had  power  to  pucker  distance  itself.* 

To  those  who  have  visited  the  west  shore  of  the  Yellow- 
stone Lake,  and  know  how  simple  a  matter  it  is  to  catch 
the  lake  trout  and  cook  them  in  the  boiling  pools  without 
taking  them  from  the  line,  the  groundwork  of  the  follow- 
ing description  will  be  obvious  enough.  Somewhere  along 
the  shore  an  immense  boiling  spring  discharges  its  overflow 
directly  into  the  lake.  The  specific  gravity  of  the  water  is 
less  than  that  of  the  lake,  owing  probably  to  the  expansive 
action  of  heat,  and  it  floats  in  a  stratum  three  or  four  feet 
thiols  upon  the  cold  water  underneath.  When  Bridger  was 
in  need  of  fish  it  was  to  this  place  that  he  went.  Through 
the  hot  upper  stratum  he  let  fall  his  bait  to  the  subjacent 
habitable  zone,  and  having  hooked  his  victim,  cooked  him 
on  the  way  out! 

In  like  manner  the  visitor  to  the  region  of  petrifications 
on  Specimen  Eidge  in  the  northeast  corner  of  the  Park, 
and  to  various  points  in  the  hot  springs  districts,  will  have 
no  difficulty  in  discovering  the  base  material  out  of  which 
Bridger  contrived  the  following  picturesque  yarn.  Accord- 
ing to  his  account  there  exists  in  the  Park  country  a  moun- 
tain which  was  once  cursed  by  a  great  medicine  man  of  the 
Crow  nation.  Every  thing  upon  the  mountain  at  the  time 
of  this  dire  event  became  instantly  petrified  and  has 
remained  so  ever  since.  All  forms  of  life  are  standing 
about  in  stone  where  they  were  suddenly  caught  by  the 


*  "The  headwaters  of  this  stream  are  so  strong  with  alum 
that  one  swallow  is  sufficient  to  draw  one's  face  into  such 
shape  that  it  is  almost  impossible  to  get  it  straightened  out 
again  for  one  hour  or  so." — Journal  of  C.  J.  Weikert,  August 
26,  1877. 


JAMES  BRIDGER  AND  HIS  6T0RIES.  51 

petrifying  influences,  even  as  the  inhabitants  of  ancient 
Pompeii  were  surprised  by  the  ashes  of  Vesuvius.  Sage 
brush,  grass,  prairie  fowl,  antelope,  elk,  and  bears  may 
there  be  seen  as  perfect  as  in  actual  life.  Even  flowers  are 
blooming  in  colors  of  crystal,  and  birds  soar  with  wings 
spread  in  motionless  flight,  while  the  air  floats  with  music 
and  perfumes  siliceous,  and  the  sun  and  the  moon  shine 
with  petrified  light! 

To  show  how  old  this  story  is,  we  quote  the  following 
from  "Life  in  the  Far  West,^^  by  George  Frederick  EuA'ton 
(18-19).  It  represents  an  old  trapper  who  has  come  do\\Ti 
from  the  mountains  and  is  relating  his  experiences  in  a 
tavern  in  St.  Louis.  The  colloquy  is  with  the  landlady. 
It  is  also  of  interest  as  one  of  the  very  few  existing  speci- 
mens of  the  dialect  of  the  trapper  in  the  days  when  he 
flourished  in  the  region  around  the   Yellowstone   I'ark : 

"  *Well,  Mister  Harris,  I  hear  you're  a  great  traveler.' 

"  ^Traveler,  marm/  says  Black  Harris,  'this  niggur's  no 
traveler ;  I  ar'  a  trapper,  marm,  a  mountain-man,  w^agh !' 

"  'Well,  Mister  Harris,  trappers  are  great  travelers,  and 
you  goes  over  a  sight  of  ground  in  your  perishinations,  I'll 
be  l)ound  to  say/ 

"  'A  sight,  marm,  this  coon's  gone  over,  if  that's  the  way 
your  "stick  floats."*  I've  trapped  beaver  on  Platte  and 
Arkansa,  and  away  up  on  Missouri  and  Taller  Stone;  I've 
trapped  on  Columbia,  on  Lewis  Fork,  and  Green  River  and 
the  Heely  (Gila).  I've  font  the  "Blackfoot"  (and  d— d  bad 
injuns  they  ar) ;  I've  "raised  the  hair"  f  of  more  than  one 
Apach,  and  made    a    Rapaho    "come"    afore    now;    I've 

♦  Meaning:  "If  that's  what  you  mean."  The  "stick"  is  tied 
to  the  beaver  trap  by  a  string;  and,  floating  on  the  water, 
points  out  its  position,  should  a  beaver  have  carried  it  away 

*  Scalped. 


52  THE    YELLOWSTONE    NATIONAL    PARK. 

trapped  in  Heav'n,  in  airth,  and  h — 1;  and  scalp  my  old 
head,  marm/but  I've  seen  a  putrefied  forest/ 

"  ^La,  Mister  Harris ;  a  what  T 

"  *  A  putrefied  forest,  marm,  as  sure  as  my  rifle's  got 
liindsights,  and  "she''  shoots  center.  It  was  out  on  the 
Black  Hills,  Bill  Sublette  knows  the  time — the  year  it 
rained  fire — and  everybody  knows  when  that  was.  If  thar 
wasn't  cold  doins  about  that  time,  this  child  wouldn't  say 
so.  The  snow  was  about  fifty  foot  deep,  and  the  bufler  lay 
dead  on  the  ground  like  bees  after  a  beein';  not  whar  we 
was  tho',  for  thar  was  no  bufler,  and  no  meat,  and  me  and 
my  band  had  been  livin'  on  our  moccasins  (least\nse  the 
parflesh*)  for  six  weeks;  and  poor  doins  that  feedin'  is, 
marm,  as  you'll  never  know.  One  day  we  crossed  a  "canon" 
and  over  a  "divide,"  and  got  into  a  peraira,  whar  was 
green  grass,  and  green  trees,  and  green  leaves  on  the  trees, 
and  birds  singing  in  the  green  leaves,  and  this  in  Febrary, 
Wagh!  Our  animals  was  like  to  die  when  they  see  the 
green  grass,  and  we  all  sung  out,  "hurrraw  for  summer 
doins." ' 

"  'Hyar  goes  for  meat/  says  I,  and  I  jest  ups  old  Ginger 
[his  rifle]  at  one  of  them  singing  birds,  and  down  comes 
the  crittur  elegant;  its  darned  head  spinning  away  from 
the  body,  but  never  stops  singing,  and  when  I  takes  up  the 
meat,  I  find  it  stone,  wagh !  "Hyar's  damp  powder  and  no 
fire  to  dry  it,"  I  says,  quite  skeared.' 

"  ^Fire  be  dogged,'  says  old  Rube.  *Hyar's  a  hos  as'll 
make  fire  come;'  and  with  that  he  takes  his  axe  and  lets 
drive  at  a  Cottonwood.  Schru-k — goes  the  axe  agin  the 
tree,  and  out  comes  a  bit  of  the  blade  as  big  as  my  hand. 
We  looks  at  the  animals,  and  thar  they  stood  shaking  over 

•  Soles  made  of  buffalo  hide. 


OspREY  Falls,  Middi.e  Gardiner  River. 


JAMES  BRIDGER  AND  HIS  STORIES.  63 

the  grass,  which  I'm  dog-gone  if  it  wasn't  stone  too. 
Young  Sublette  comes  up,  and  he'd  been  clerking  down  to 
the  fort  on  Platte,  so  he  know'd  something.  He  looks  and 
looks,  and  scrapes  the  trees  with  his  butcher  knife,  and 
snaps  the  grass  like  pipe  stems,  and  breaks  the  leaves  a 
snapping  like  Californy  shells.' 

"•'What's  all  this,  boy?'  I  asks. 

"  Tutref actions,'  looking  smart ;  'putrefactions,  or  I'm  a 
niggur.' 

"'La,  Mister  Harris,'  says  the  lady,  'putrefactions! 
Why,  did  the  leaves,  and  the  trees,  and  the  grass  smell 
badly?' 

"'Smell  badly,  marm !'  says  Black  Harris;  'would  a 
thing  smell  if  it  was  froze  to  stone?  No,  marm;  this  child 
didn't  know  what  putrefactions  was,  and  young  Sublette's 
varsion  wouldn't  *'shine"  nohow,  so  I  chips  a  piece  out  of 
a  tree  and  puts  it  in  my  trap-sack,  and  carries  it  safe  to 
Laramie.  AYell,  old  Captain  Stewart  (a  clever  man  was 
that,  though  he  was  an  Englishman),  he  comes  along  next 
spring,  and  a  Dutch  doctor  chap  was  along  too.  I  shows 
him  the  piece  I  chipped  out  of  the  tree  and  he  called  it  a 
putrefaction,  too ;  and  so,  marm,  if  that  wasn't  a  putrefied 
peraira,  what  was  it?  For  this  hos  doesn't  know,  and  he 
knows  "fat  cow"  from  "poor  bull,"  anyhow.' " 

BIOGRAPHICAL    NOTE. 

James  Bridger  was  bom  in  Eichmond,  Va.,  in  March, 
1804,  and  died  in  Washington,  Jackson  Co.,  Mo.,  July  17, 
1881.  He  must  have  gone  west  at  a  very  early  age,  for  he 
is  kno\\Ti  to  have  been  in  the  mountains  in  IS?-!.  2>^iles 
Register  for  1822  speaks  of  him  as  associated  with  Fitz- 
Patrick  in  the  Rocky  Mountain  Fur  Company.  Another 
record  of  this  period  reveals  him  as  leader  of  a  band  of 


54  THE    YELLOWSTOXE    NATIONAL    PARK. 

whites  sent  to  retake  stolen  horses  from  the  hostile  Ban- 
nocks. In  1830  he  had  become  a  resident  partner  in  the 
Eocky  Mountain  Fur  Company.  That  he  was  a  recognized 
leader  among  the  early  mountaineers  while  yet  in  his 
minority  seems  beyond  question.  He  became  "The  Old 
Man  of  the  Mountains"  before  he  was  thirty  years  of  age. 

Among  the  more  prominent  achievements  of  Bridger's 
life  may  be  noted  the  following:  He  was  long  a  lead- 
ing spirit  in  the  Eocky  Mountain  Fur  Company.  He 
discovered  Great  Salt  Lake  and  the  noted  Pass  that  bears 
his  name.  He  built  Fort  Bridger  in  the  lovely  valley  of 
Black  Fork  of  Green  Eiver,  where  transpired  many  thrill- 
ing events  connected  with  the  history  of  the  Mormons  and 
*' Forty-niners."  He  had  explored,  and  could  accurately 
describe,  the  wonders  of  the  Yellowstone  fully  a  quarter  of 
a  century  before  their  final  discovery. 

In  person  he  was  tall  and  spare,  straight  and  agile,  eyes 
gray,  hair  brown  and  long,  and  abundant  even  in  old  age; 
expression  mild,  and  manners  agreeable.  He  was  hospita- 
ble and  generous,  and  was  always  trusted  and  respected. 
He  possessed  to  a  high  degree  the  confidence  of  the  In- 
dians, one  of  whom,  a  Shoshone  woman,  he  made  his  wife. 

Unquestionably  Bridger's  chief  claim  to  remembrance 
by  posterity  rests  upon  the  extraordinary  part  he  bore  in 
the  exploration  of  the  West.  The  common  verdict  of  his 
many  employers,  from  Eobert  Campbell  doT\Ti  to  Captain 
Ea}Tiolds,  is  that  as  a  guide  he  was  without  an  equal.  He 
was  a  born  topographer.  The  whole  West  was  mapped  out 
in  his  mind  as  in  an  exhaustive  atlas.  Such  was  Ms 
instinctive  sense  of  locality  and  direction  that  it  used  to  be 
said  that  he  could  "smell  his  way"  where  he  could  not  see 
it.  He  was  not  only  a  good  topographer  in  the  field,  but 
he  could  reproduce  his  impressions  in  sketches.     "With  a 


JAMES  BRIDGER  AND  HIS  STORIES.  55 

buffalo  skin  and  a  piece  of  charcoal/'  says  Captain  Gun- 
nison, "he  will  map  out  any  portion  of  this  immense  region, 
and  delineate  mountains,  streams,  and  the  circular  valleys, 
called  'holes,'  with  wonderful  accuracy/'  His  ability  in 
this  line  caused  him  always  to  be  in  demand  as  a  guide  to 
exploring  parties,  and  his  name  is  connected  with  many 
prominent  government  and  private  expeditions. 
^  His  lifetime  measures  that  period  of  our  history  during 
which  the  West  was  changed  from  a  trackless  wilderness  to 
a  settled  and  civilized  countrA\  He  was  among  the  first 
who  went  to  the  mountains,  and  he  lived  to  see  all  that 
had  made  a  life  like  his  possible  swept  away  forever. 


CHAPTER  VII. 

RAYNOLDS'   EXPEDITION. 

• 

On  "the  13th  of  April,  1859,  Captain  AY.  F.  Eaynolds,  of 
the  Corps  of  Topographical  Engineers,  U.  S.  A.,  was 
ordered  to  explore  "the  region  of  country  through  which 
flow  the  principal  tributaries  of  the  Yellowstone  Eiver, 
and  the  mountains  in  which  they,  and  the  Gallatin  and 
Madison  Forks  of  the  Missouri,  have  their  source."  This 
was  the  first  government  expedition*  directed  to  the  pre- 
cise locality  which  is  now  embraced  in  the  Yellowstone 
National  Park.  It  is  interesting  to  us,  not  for  what  it 
accomplished — for  it  fortunately  failed  to  penetrate  the 
Upper  Yellowstone  country — ^but  because  it  gives  an  ad- 
mirable resume,  in  the  form  of  a  report  and  a  map,  of  the 
geographical  knowledge  of  that  country  down  to  the  date 
of  actual  discovery. 

Captain  Eaynolds  was  in  the  field  during  the  two  seasons 
of  1859  and  1860;  but  it  was  only  in  the  summer  of  1860 
that  he  directed  his  efforts  toward  the  country  in  which  we 
are  particularly  interested.  In  May  of  that  year  the  expe- 
dition left  its  winter  quarters  at  Deer  Creek,  Wyo.,  and 
marched  to  the  junction  of  the  Wind  Eiver  and  the  Popo 
Agie  where  these  streams  unite  under  the  name  of  Big 
Horn  Eiver.  Here  the  party  di^dded.  One  division  under 
Captain  Eaynolds  was  to  ascend  the  Wind  Eiver  to  its 
source  and  then  cross  to  the  head  waters  of  the  Yellowstone. 


♦  Accompanying  this  expedition  as  geologist  was  Dr.  F.  V. 
Hayden,  whose  name  is  so  intimately  connected  with  the  his- 
tory of  the  Yellowstone  Park.  James  Bridger  was  guide  to  the 
party. 


RAYNOLDS'   EXPEDITION.  57 

This  stream  they  were  to  follow  down  to  the  Great  Bend, 
and  then  cross  over  to  the  Three  Forks  of  the  Missouri. 
The  other  party,  under  Lieutenant  Maynadier,  was  to  skirt 
the  east  and  north  flanks  of  the  Absaroka  Range  and  to 
join  the  first  party  at  the  Three  Forks,  if  possible,  not 
later  than  July  1st. 

Captain  Eaynolds  was  charged  with  other  instructions 
than  those  mentioned  in  his  order,  which  must  be  kept  in 
mind  in  order  properly  to  account  for  the  final  outcome  of 
the  expedition.  A  total  eclipse  of  the  sun  was  to  occur  on 
July  18th  of  that  year,  and  its  Hne  of  greatest  occultation 
lay  north  of  the  British  boundary.  It  was  desired  that 
Captain  Eaynolds  should  be  present  in  that  locality  in  time 
to  observe  the  eclipse.  This  condition,  rather  than  impas- 
sable mountains  or  unmelted  snows,  was  the  chief  obstacle 
to  a  thorough  exploration  of  the  Upper  Yellowstone. 

The  two  parties  separated  May  24th.  Captain  Eaynolds, 
according  to  his  programme,  kept  up  the  Wind  Eiver 
valley,  and  with  much  difficulty  effected  a  crossing  by  way 
of  Union  Pass — which  he  named — to  the  western  slope  of 
the  mountains.  He  then  turned  north  seeking  a  passage 
to  the  head  waters  of  the  Yellowstone.  When  nearly  oppo- 
site Two-Ocean  Pass,  he  made  a  strenuous  effort  to  force 
his  way  through,  spending  two  days  in  the  attempt.  But 
it  was  still  June  and  the  snow  la}"  deep  on  the  mountains. 
It  was  a  physical  impossibilit}'  to  get  through  at  that  jDoint, 
and  the  risk  of  missing  the  eclipse  forbade  efforts  else- 
where. The  Captain  was  deeply  disappointed  at  this 
result.    He  writes : 

"My  fondly  cherished  schemes  of  this  nature  were  all 
dissipated  by  the  prospect  before  us ;  .  .  .  and  I  there- 
fore very  reluctantly  decided  to  abandon  the  plan  to  which 
I  had  so  steadily  clung." 


68  THE    YELLOWSTONE    NATIONAL    PARK. 

Lieutenant  Maynadier  wisely  made  no  attempt  to  cross 
the  xibsaroka  Eange,  which  rose  continuously  on  his  left. 
Had  he  done  so,  the  deep  snow  at  that  season  would  have 
rendered  his  efforts  futile.  He  kept  close  to  the  flank  of 
the  mountains  until  he  reached  the  valley  of  the  Yellow- 
stone north  of  the  Park,  and  then  hastened  to  join  his  com- 
manding officer  at  the  appointed  rendezvous.  He  reached 
the  Three  Forks  on  the  3d  day  of  July. 

The  expedition  had  now  completely  encircled  the  region 
of  the  Upper  Yellowstone.  At  one  point  Captain  Eaynolds 
had  stood  where  his  eye  could  range  over  all  that  country 
which  has  since  become  so  famous;  but  this  was  the  limit 
of  his  endeavor.  The  Yellowstone  wonderland  was  spared 
the  misfortune  of  being  discovered  at  so  early  a  da}^ — a 
fact  quite  as  fortunate  as  any  other  in  its  history. 

It  will  be  interesting  now  to  survey  this  region  as 
known  at  the  time  of  the  Eaynolds  Expedition.  Nothing 
of  importance  occurred  to  increase  public  knowledge  of  it 
until  1870,  and  Captain  Eaynolds'  Eeport  is  therefore  the 
latest  authentic  utterance  concerning  it  prior  to  the  date 
of  actual  discovery.    In  this  report  Captain  Eaynolds  says : 

^^Beyond  these  [the  mountains  southeast  of  the  Park]  is 
the  valley  of  the  Upper  Yellowstone,  which  is  as  yet  a 
terra  incognita.  My  expedition  passed  entirely  around,  but 
could  not  penetrate  it.  .  .  .  Although  it  was  June, 
the  immense  body  of  snow  baffled  all  our  exertions,  and  we 
were  compelled  to  content  ourselves  with  listening  to  mar- 
velous tales  of  burning  plains,  immense  lakes,  and  boiling 
springs,  without  being  able  to  verify  these  wonders.  I 
know  of  but  two  men  who  claim  to  have  ever  visited  this 
part  of  the  Yellowstone  A^alley — James  Brid^er  and  Eobert 
Meldrum.  The  narratives  of  both  these  men  are  very 
remarkable,  and  Bridger,  in  one  of  his  recitals,  describes 


RAYNOLDS''   EXPEDITION.  59 

an  immense  boiling  spring,  that  is  a  perfect  counterpart  of 
the  geysers  of  Iceland.  As  he  is  uneducated,  and  had  prol)- 
ably  never  heard  of  the  existence  of  such  natural  wonders 
elsewhere,  I  have  little  doubt  that  he  spoke  of  that  which 
he  had  actually  seen.  .  .  .  Bridger  also  insisted  that 
immediately  west*  of  the  point  at  which  we  made  our  final 
effort  to  penetrate  this  singular  valley,  there  is  a  stream  of 
considerable  size,  which  divides  and  flows  down  either  side 
of  the  water-shed,  thus  discharging  its  waters  into  both  the 
Atlantic  and  Pacific  Oceans." 

The  Captain  concludes  this  particular  part  of  his  report 
as  follows : 

^'I  can  not  doubt,  therefore,  that  at  no  very  distant  day, 
the  mysteries  of  this  region  will  be  fully  revealed;  and, 
although  small  in  extent,  I  regard  the  valley  of  the  Upper 
Yellowstone  as  the  most  interesting  unexplored  district  in 
our  widely  expanded  country." 

Lieutenant  Maynadier  also  contributes  a  few  interesting 
observations  upon  this  region.  The  vast  importance  of 
that  extensive  mass  of  mountains,  as  a  reservoir  of  waters 
for  the  country  round  about,  impressed  him  deeply.  He 
says,  somewhat  ostentatiously : 

"As  my  fancy  warmed  with  the  wealth  of  desolation 
before  me,  I  found  something  to  admire  in  the  calm  self- 
denial  with  which  this  region,  content  with  barren  magnifi- 
cence, gives  up  its  water  and  soil  to  more  favorable  coun- 
tries." ^^ 

Of  the  Yellowstone  Eiver  he  was  told  that  it  had  its 
source  "in  a  lake  in  the  impenetrable  fastnesses  of  the 
Rocky  Mountains;"  and  that  for  some  distance  below  the 
lake  it  flowed  through  a  narrow  gorge,  up  which  "no  one 
has  ever  been  able  to  travel/^ 

•  Actually  northeast. 


60  THE  YELLOWSTONE  NATIONAL  PARK. 

But  it  is  the  map  prepared  by  Captain  Eaynolds  that 
tells  a  more  interesting  story  even  than  his  written  report. 
It  reveals  at  once  to  the  eye  what  was  known  as  well 
as  what  was  unknown  of  the  Upper  Yellowstone.  Extend- 
ing in  a  southeasterly  and  northwesterly  direction,  is  a 
large  elliptical  space,  within  which  geographical  features 
are  represented  by  dotted  lines,  indicating  that  they  are 
put  in  by  hearsay  only.  In  the  midst  of  a  surrounding 
country,  which  is  already  mapped  with  great  accuracy, 
there  is  a  region  wholly  unknown  to  the  geographer.  A 
cordon  of  mountains  encircles  it,  and  shows  the  limit  of 
official  effort  to  gain  a  correct  knowledge  of  it.  Within  this 
enchanted  inclosure  lies  the  region  approximately  defined 
by  the  44th  and  45th  parallels  of  latitude  and  the  110th 
md  111th  meridians  of  longitude,  which  now  constitutes 
the  Yellowstone  Xational  Park.  There  one  may  catch 
glimpses,  through  the  uncertain  haze  of  tradition,  of  the 
geysers,  hot  springs.  Lake,  Falls,  Grand  Canon,  Mammoth 
Hot  Springs,  and  Two-Ocean  Pass.  This  was  the  net 
result  of  fifty  years'  desultor}'  wandering  in  and  about  and 
over  this  "mystic"  region. 

Eaynolds'  report  was  the  first  official  recognition  in  any 
form  of  the  probable  existence  of  extensive  volcanic  phe- 
nomena in  the  region  of  the  Upper  Yellowstone.  Had 
it  been  published  immediately  after  the  expedition,  and 
had  not  public  attention  been  totally  engrossed  with  other 
matters  of  overshadowing  importance,  this  region  must 
have  become  fully  known  in  the  early  Sixties.  But  within 
a  month  after  the  return  of  Captain  Eaynolds  to  civiliza- 
tion there  had  taken  place  the  national  election  which  was 
the  signal  for  attempted  armed  disruption  of  the  Union. 
A  year  later  found  every  officer  of  the  Army  called  to  new 
fields  of  duty.     Western  exploration  entirely  ceased  until 


M- 

W^-'- 


J1 


Lower  Falls   of  the   Yellowstone — Original   Sketch   by 

Private  Moore,  a   Soloier  in  the  Kscort 

ov  the  Expedition  of  1S70. 


HAYXOLDS^    EXPEDITION.  61 

18G.J,  and  was  not  vigorously  resumed  for  some  years 
thereafter.  Captain  Raynolds'  report  did  not  appear  until 
18GS,  although  his  map  was  published  several  years  earlier 
in  order  to  meet  a  demand  for  it  by  the  new  settlers  in 
Western  Montana.  Nothing  transpired  in  the  meantime 
to  make  the  general  public  familiar  witli  this  region,  and 
the  picture  here  given  is  therefore  substantially  correct 
down  to  the  date  of  the  celebrated  W  ashburn  expedition. 


CHAPTER  VIII. 

GOLD  IN   MONTANA. 

Among  the  most  fascinating  pages  of  American  history 
are  those  which  recount  the  annals  of  the  discoveries  of 
gold  and  silver.  Xo  one  can  appreciate  the  magnitude  of 
those  various  movements  by  a  simple  perusal  of  statistics 
of  the  mineral  wealth  which  they  disclosed.  He  must  pass 
through  the  mining  belts  and  note  how  almost  every  rod  of 
ground,  over  vast  tracts  of  country,  is  filled  with  prospect 
holes  that  attest  the  miner's  former  presence.  If  t'le 
trapper  carried  the  tools  of  his  trade  to  haunts  remote  and 
inaccessible,  the  miner,  with  his  pick  and  shovel,  certainly 
outdid  him.  One  can  readily  understand  that,  as  soon  as 
such  a  movement  should  be  directed  toward  the  region  of 
the  Upper  Yellowstone,  the  wonders  of  that  region  wouU 
speedily  be  revealed. 

The  presence  of  gold  in  the  mountains  of  Montana  was 
first  noticed  as  far  back  as  1852.  Later,  in  1858,  the 
Stuart  brothers,  James  and  Granville,  founders  of  Montana, 
discovered  gold  in  the  Deer  Lodge  Valley;  but  they  were 
destitute  of  equipments,  and  so  constantly  exposed  to  the 
hostility  of  the  Blackfeet,  that  they  went  to  Fort  Bridger 
in  the  southwest  corner  of  Wyoming,  and  did  not  return 
until  late  in  1860. 

It  was  in  1860  and  1861  that  the  rich  mines  on  the 
Salmon  and  Boise  Eivers  were  discovered.  In  1862  the 
tide  of  discovery  swept  across  the  mountains  into  Montana. 
The  rich  mines  on  Pioneer  Creek,  the  Big  Prickly  Pear,  the 
Big  Hole  River,  North  Boulder  Creek,  and  at  Bannock,  and 


GOLD  IN   MOXTANA.  63 

other  points,  became  known.  Although  there  were  scarcely 
a  thousand  people  in  Montana  in  the  winter  of  1862-3,  the 
news  of  the  great  discoveries  marshaled  a  host  of  immi- 
grants ready  to  enter  the  territory  in  the  following  spring. 
These  were  largely  re-enforced  by  adventurers  from  both 
the  Xorthern  and  Southern  States,  who  sought  in  these 
remote  regions  exemption  from  the  tributes  and  levies  of 
war.  The  immigrants  were  welcomed  in  the  spring  of 
1863  by  the  news  of  the  discovery  of  Alder  Gulch,  the 
richest  of  all  gold  placers.  The  work  of  prospecting, 
already  being  pushed  with  vigor,  was  stimulated  to  an 
extraordinary  degree  by  this  magnificent  discovery.  Pros- 
pecting parties  scoured  the  country  in  all  directions,  often 
with  loss  of  life  through  the  Indians,  but  rarely,  after  the 
first  two  or  three  years,  with  any  substantial  success.  Some 
of  these  expeditions  have  a  particular  connection  with  our 
narrative  because  they  passed  across  portions  of  what  is 
now  the  Yellowstone  Park. 

The  most  important  of  them  occurred  in  August  and 
September,  1863.  It  was  led  by  Walter  W.  DeLacy,  an 
engineer  and  surveyor  of  some  distinction  in  the  early 
history  of  Montana.  The  party  at  one  time  numbered 
forty-two  men,  although  this  number  did  not  continue 
constant  throughout  the  expedition.  Its  sole  object  was  to 
"prospect'^  the  country.  Evidently  nothing  in  the  line  of 
topographical  reconnaissance  was  thought  of,  for  Captain 
DeLacy  says  "there  was  not  a  telescope,  and  hardly  a  watch, 
in  the  whole  party." 

The  expedition  left  Virginia  City,  August  3d;  passed 
south  into  Idaho  until  it  struck  the  Snake  Eiver,  and  then 
ascended  that  stream  to  the  region  about  Jackson  Lake. 
Near  the  mouth  of  Buffalo  Fork  a  halt  was  macle,  a  corral 
was  built  to  hold  the  stocky  and  a  miners'  meeting  held,  at 


64  THE    YELLOWSTONE    NATIONAL    PARK. 

which  rules  were  adopted  to  govern  the  miners  in  the  con- 
templated examination  of  the  country.  The  party  then 
broke  up  into  small  groups  and  set  out  in  different  direc- 
tions so  as  to  cover  as  much  ground  as  possible.  The  last 
four  days  of  August  were  spent  in  this  search,  but  with 
failure  in  every  direction.  This  discouragement  led  to  the 
abandonment  of  the  expedition.  Fifteen  men  set  out  for 
home  by  the  way  they  had  come,  while  DeLacy  and  twenty- 
seven  men  resolved  to  reach  the  Madison  Eiver  and  the 
settlements  by  going  north.  A  day  later  this  party  entered 
the  territory  which  is  now  the  Yellowstone  Park. 

The  route  lay  up  the  Snake  Eiver  to  its  junction  with 
Lewis  River,  where  the  hot  springs  of  that  locality  were 
discovered.  Here  another  separation  occurred.  About 
half  the  party  went  back  down  the  river  to  re-examine  a 
locality  where  they  thought  they  had  found  some  fair  pros- 
pects. They  soon  returned,  however,  unsuccessful.  The 
main  party  under  DeLacy  ascended  the  hills  to  the  west  of 
the  river  to  seek  a  more  practicable  route.  They  soon 
reached  the  summit  of  the  plateau  where  they  discovered 
what  are  now  Hering  and  Beula  Lakes,  and  noted  their 
divergent  drainage.  Thence  they  passed  north  over  Pitch- 
stone  Plateau  until  they  struck  the  valley  of  Moose  Creek. 
They  descended  this  stream  for  a  few  miles  and  came  to  a 
large  lake,  which  they  supposed  to  be  tributary  to  either 
the  Madison  or  the  Yellowstone  Elvers.  To  their  great 
surprise  they  found,  upon  rounding  its  southern  point, 
that  it  drained  south  into  the  Snake.  This  is  what  is  now 
called  Shoshone  Lake. 

From  the  outlet  of  the  lake,  DeLacy  sent  a  man  down 
stream  to  examine  the  river.  This  reconnaissance  resulted 
in  the  discover)'  of  Lewds  Lake  and  the  hot  springs  basin 
there.    When  DeLacy  resumed. his  route,  he  followed  along 


•^' 


Snow  in  the  Park  Forests,  Jcjne  13,  1899. 


GOLD  IN   MONTANA.  65 

the  east  shore  of  the  lake  to  its  northern  extremity,  and 
then  ascended  the  beautiful  open  valley  of  DeLacy  Creek. 
He  crossed  the  Continental  Divide  at  the  head  of  the  valley, 
and  camped  on  the  evening  of  September  8th  some  miles 
beyond  the  Divide  toward  the  Firehole  Eiver.  The  next 
morning,  September  9,  18G3,  he  came  upon  the  consider- 
able stream  of  hot  water  wliich  flows  down  a  mountain 
ravine  into  the  Lower  Geyser  Basin  close  by  the  Great 
Fountain  Geyser.  The  reader  will  learn  with  some  amaze- 
ment that  the  party  thought  little  enough  of  this  wonder- 
ful locality  to  pass  directly  through  it  without  halt  or  per- 
ceptible delay.  Before  the  camping  hour  of  the  afternoon 
had  arrived,  they  were  many  miles  away  at  the  junction  of 
the  Gibbon  and  Firehole  Elvers. 

The  other  section  of  the  party,  which  had  gone  do^^Ti  the 
Snake  from  its  junction  with  Lewis  River,  soon  returned, 
followed  up  the  river  to  Lewis  and  Shoshone  Lakes,  passed 
around  the  western  end  of  the  latter  lake,  discovering  its 
extensive  geyser  basin,  and  thence  crossed  over  to  the 
Madison.  This  stream  they  descended  through  the  geyser 
basins,  and  followed  the  main  party  to  the  settlements. 

DeLacy  might  have  passed  into  history  as  the  real  dis- 
coverer of  the  Yellowstone  wonderland,  but  for  the  fact 
that  he  failed  to  appreciate  the  true  importance  of  what 
he  saw.  In  that,  however,  he  was  no  exception  to  the  gen- 
eral rule  of  immigrants.  The  search  for  gold  with  them 
so  far  overshadowed  all  other  matters,  that  it  would  have 
required  something  more  than  geysers  to  divert  them,  even 
momentarily,  from  its  prosecution.  Although  DeLacy 
kept  a  daily  journal  of  his  expedition,  and  noted  therein 
the  various  items  of  interest  along  his  route,  he  did  not 
publish  it  until  1876,  long  after  public  interest  had  been 
strongly  attracted  to  the  geyser  regions.    He  did,  however, 


66  THE    YELLOWSTOXE    NATIONAL    I'ARK. 

publish  a  map  of  the  coiintn'  through  which  he  passed, 
and  on  this  map  he  correctly  noted  the  drainage  of  Shos- 
hone Lake — something  which  the  Folsom^,  AVashburn  and 
Havden  expeditions  all  failed  to  do.  He  also  noted  the 
various  hot  springs  locahties  through  which  the  party 
passed.  In  a  letter  published  in  Eaymond's  "Alineral  Re- 
sources of  the  States  and  Territories  West  of  the  Eocky 
Mountains/'  in  1869,  before  the  date  of  the  Washburn 
expedition,  he  called  attention  to  the  existence  of  geysers 
at  the  head  of  Shoshone  Lake  and  on  the  Madison  Eiver. 

DeLac/s  account,  as  finally  published,  is  an  interesting 
early  -sdew  of  this  region,  and  is  remarkable  for  its  general 
correctness.  That  he  failed  to  publish  his  discoveries  must 
be  regarded  as  fortunate,  so  far  as  the  Park  is  concerned, 
for  the  time  had  not  yet  come  when  it  was  desirable  that 
the  real  character  of  this  country  should  be  made  known. 

From  1863  to  1869  there  were  many  other  prospecting 
parties  in  the  region  of  the  Upper  Yellowstone.  In  1863 
one  of  these  parties,  numbering  thirty  or  forty  men,  as- 
cended the  Yellowstone  and  the  East  Fork  to  the  month 
of  Soda  Butte  Creek,  and  thence  across  an  intervening 
ridge  to  the  next  northern  tributary'  of  the  East  Fork. 
Here  all  their  horses  were  stolen  by  Indians.  There  were 
left  only  one  or  two  mules,  on  which  was  packed  all  tlie 
baggage  they  could  carry,  the  rest  being  concealed  in  a 
cache.  The  party  then  separated  into  two  portions,  and 
prospected  the  country  for  several  days  in  the  vicinity  of 
Clark's  Fork.  They  finally  returned,  emptied  the  cache, 
and  descended  to  the  Yellowstone,  where  they  found  fair 
prospects  near  the  present  north  boundary  of  the  Park. 
The  expedition  has  no  permanent  interest  for  this  narra- 
tive, except  that  it  left  the  two  geographical  names,  ^Tache 
Creek"  and  "Bear  Gulch." 


GOLD  IN  MONTANA.  67 

Id  1864,  a  party  of  seventy-three  men,  under  James 
Stuart,  passed  from  Deer  Lodge,  Montana,  to  the  Yellow- 
stone Valley,  and  thence  around  the  east  base  of  the  Ab- 
saroka  range  into  the  valley  of  the  Shoshone  river.  The 
object  of  this  expedition  was  to  punish  the  Indians  for 
outrages  of  the  previous  year,  and  also  to  prospect  the 
country  for  gold.  At  the  Shoshone  Stuart  was  compelled 
to  return  home.  The  party  then  separated  into  groups 
that  gradually  worked  their  way  back  to  the  Montana 
settlements.  One  of  these  small  parties  went  as  far  south 
as  the  Sweetwater  Eiver,  then  crossed  to  the  Green  and 
Snake  Elvers,  and  recrossed  the  Continental  Divide  at 
Two- Ocean  Pass.  They  descended  the  Yellowstone,  past 
the  Lake  and  Grand  Canon,  and  beyond  the  present  limits 
of  the  Park.  Norris  found  remnants  of  their  camp  debris 
serenteen  years  afterward. 

In  1866,  a  party  under  one  George  Huston  left  Vir- 
ginia City,  Montana,  and  ascended  the  Madison  Eiver  to 
the  geyser  basins.  Thence  they  crossed  to  the  Yellowstone 
at  Mud  Geyser,  ascended  the  river  to  the  lake,  passed  com- 
pletely around  the  latter,  discovering  Heart  Lake  on  their 
way,  and  then  descended  the  Yellowstone  by  the  Falls  and 
Canon,  to  Emigrant  Gulch.  Here  they  were  interviewed 
by  a  newspaper  reporter,  and  on  account  of  their  travels 
was  published  in  the  Omaha  Herald.  They  had  seen  al)out 
all  there  was  to  be  seen  in  the  whole  region. 

At  least  two  parties  traversed  the  Park  country  in  1867. 
One  of  these  gave  names  to  Crevice,  Hell-roaring  and 
Slough  Creeks.  An  account  of  the  wanderings  of  the  other 
party  appeared  in  the  Montana  Post  of  that  year. 

;^Lany  other  parties  and  individuals  passed  through  this 
region  during  the  ^lontana  mining  craze.  Their  accounts 
appeared  now  and  then  in  the  local  papers,  and  were  re- 


68  THE    YELLOWSTONE    NATIONAL    PARK. 

printed  throughout  the  country.  By  1869,  probably  very 
few  of  the  reading  public  had  not  heard  rumors  of  a 
strange  volcanic  region  in  the  Far  West.  In  Montana,  par- 
ticularly, repeated  confirmation  of  the  old  trappers'  tales 
was  gradually  arousing  a  deep  interest,  and  the  time  was 
fast  approaching  when  explorations  for  the  specific  purpose 
of  verifying  these  rumors  were  to  begin. 


CHAPTEE  IX. 

DISCOVERY. 

The  discovery  of  the  Yellowstone  Wonderland — by 
which  is  here  meant  its  full  and  final  disclosure  to  the 
world — was  the  work  of  three  parties  who  visited  and 
explored  it  in  the  years  1869,  1870,  and  1871,  respect- 
ively. The  first  of  these  expeditions  was  purely  a  private 
enterprise.  It  consisted  of  three  men,  and  was  the  first 
party  to  enter  this  country  with  the  express  purpose  of 
verifying  or  refuting  the  floating  rumors  concerning  it. 
The  second  expedition  was  of  a  mixed  character,  having 
eemi-oiRcial  sanction,  but  being  organized  and  recruited 
by  private  individuals.  This  was  the  famous  "Yellowstone 
Expedition  of  1870" — the  great  starting  point  in  the  post- 
traditional  history  of  the  Park.  The  third  expedition  was 
strictly  official,  under  the  military  and  scientific  depart- 
ments of  the  government.  It  was  a  direct  result  of  the 
explorations  of  1870,  and  was  intended  to  satisfy  the  pub- 
lic demand  for  accurate  and  official  information  concern- 
ing this  new  region  of  wonders.  It  was  the  final  and 
necessary  step  in  order  that  the  government  might  act 
intelligently  and  promptly  for  the  preservation  of  what 
was  believed  to  be  the  most  interesting  collection  of  won- 
ders to  be  found  in  the  world. 

THE  EXPEDITION  OF  18G9. 

The  question  of  setting  definitely  at  rest  the  constantly 
multiplying    rumors    of    wonderful    volcanic    phenomena 


70  THE    YELLOWSTONE    NATIONAL    PARK. 

around  the  sources  of  the  Yellowstone,  began  to  be  seri- 
ously agitated  among  the  people  of  Montana  as  early  as 
1867.  An  expedition  was  planned  for  that  year,  but  came 
to  nothing.  A  like  result  attended  a  similar  effort  the  fol- 
lowing year.  In  1869,  the  proposition  came  near  material- 
izing, but  fell  through  at  the  last  moment,  owing  to  the 
failure  to  obtain  a  military  escort.  There  were  three  mem- 
bers of  this  proposed  expedition,  however,  who  refused  to 
be  frightened  off  by  any  dangers  which  the  situation  at 
that  time  promised.  They  had  already  provided  them- 
selves with  an  elaborate  equipment,  and  were  determined, 
with  escort  or  without  it,  to  undertake  the  trip.  The 
names  of  these  men  were  David  E.  Folsom,  C.  W.  Cook, 
and  William  Peterson,  the  last  named  being  a  native  of 
Denmark.  Armed  with  "repeating  rifles,  Coitus  six-shoot- 
ers, and  sheath-knives/^  with  a  "double-barreled  shot  gun 
for  small  game/^  and  equipped  with  a  "good  field- glass, 
pocket  compass  and  thermometer,'^  and  utensils  and  provi- 
sioiis  "for  a  six  weeks'  trip,"  they  set  out  from  Diamond 
City  on  the  Missouri  Eiver,  forty  miles  from  Helena,  Sep- 
tember 6,  1869. 

The  route  lay  up  the  Missouri  to  the  Three  Forks; 
thence  via  Bozeman  and  Fort  Ellis  to  the  Yellowstone 
Eiver ;  and  thence  up  the  Y^ellowstone  to  its  junction  with 
the  East  Fork  inside  the  present  limits  of  the  Park.  From 
this  point  they  crossed  to  the  east  bank  and  followed  up 
the  river,  passing  through  the  many  groups  of  hot  springs 
to  be  found  east  of  the  Grand  Canon.  On  September  21st, 
they  arrived  at  the  Falls  of  the  Y'ellowstone,  where  they 
remained  an  entire  day.  Some  distance  above  the  rapids 
they  re-crossed  to  the  west  shore  and  then  ascended  the 
river  past  Sulphur  ]\tountain  and  Mud  Volcano  to  Y'ellow- 
stone  Lake.     They  then  went  to  the  extreme  west  shore 


DISCOVERY.  71 

of  the  lake  and  spent  some  time  examining  the  surpass- 
ingly beautiful  springs  at  that  point.  Thence  they  crossed 
the  mountains  to  Shoshone  Lake,  which  they  took  to  be 
the  head  of  the  ]\radison,  and  from  that  point  struck  out 
to  the  northwest  over  a  toilsome  country  until  they  reached 
the  Lower  Geyser  Basin  near  Xez  Perce  Creek.  Here  they 
saw  the  Fountain  Geyser  in  action  and  the  many  other 
phenomena  in  that  locality.  They  ascended  the  Firehole 
liiver  to  Excelsior  Geyser  and  Prismatic  Lake,  and  then 
turned  down  the  river  on  their  way  home.  They  were 
absent  on  the  expedition  thirty-six  days. 

It  is  said  that  these  explorers  were  so  astonished  at 
the  marvels  they  had  seen  that  'Hhey  were,  on  their  return, 
unfiling  to  risk  their  reputations  for  veracity  by  a  full 
recital  of  them  to  a  small  company  whom  their  friends  had 
assembled  to  hear  the  account  of  their  explorations/^  But 
Mr.  Folsom  later  prepared  a  inost  entertaining  narrative 
of  his  journey  which  was  published  in  the  Western 
Monthly,  of  Chicago,  in  July,  1871.*  It  deserves  high 
rank  in  the  literature  of  the  Park.  It  is  free  from  exag- 
geration and  contains  some  descriptions  unsurpassed  by 
any  subsequent  writer.  The  article,  and  personal  inter- 
views with  the  author  and  his  companions,  had  a  strong 

♦  It  is  only  through  the  undiminished  loyalty  of  Mr.  N.  P. 
Langford  to  every  thing  pertaining  to  the  welfare  of  the  Yel- 
lowstone National  Park  that  this  article  has  been  saved  from 
oblivion.  The  office  of  the  Western  Monthly  was  destroyed  by 
the  great  Chicago  fire  of  ]871,  and  all  the  files  of  the  magazine 
were  lost.  Mr.  Folsom  had  lost  or  given  away  all  copies  in  his 
possession.  So  far  as  is  known  there  is  but  one  remaining 
copy  of  this  issue,  and  that  is  owned  by  Mr.  Langford.  In  1894, 
Mr.  Langford  caused  the  article  to  be  reprinted  in  handsome 
pamphlet  form,  with  an  interesting  preface  by  himself. 


72  THE    YELLOWSTONE    NATIONAL    PARK. 

influence  in  leading  to  the  important  expedition  next  to 
be  described. 

THE  EXPEDITION   OF  1870. 

The  Yellowstone  Expedition  of  1870,  more  commonly 
known  as  the  Washburn-Doane  Expedition,  was  the  culmi- 
nation of  the  project  of  discovery  to  which  frequent  refer- 
ence has  already  been  made.  At  this  time  the  subject 
was  exciting  a  profound  interest  throughout  Montana,  and 
the  leading  citizens  of  the  territory  were  active  in  organ- 
izing a  grand  expedition.  General  Sheridan,  who  passed 
through  Helena  just  prior  to  his  departure  for  the  scene 
of  the  Franco-German  War,  spent  some  time  in  arranging 
for  a  military  escort  to  accompany  the  party.  The  project 
did, not  assume  definite  shape  until  about  the  middle  of 
August,  and  when  the  time  for  departure  arrived,  Indian 
alarms  caused  a  majority  of  the  party  to  repent  their  deci- 
sion to  join  it.  Finally,  there  were  only  nine  persons  who 
were  willing  to  brave  all  dangers  for  the  success  of  the 
undertaking.     These  nine  were: 

General  Henry  D.  Washburn,  Surveyor-General  of 
Montana,  chief  of  the  expedition,  and  author  of  a  series 
of  valuable  "notes'^  describing  it. 

Hon.  Xathaniel  P.  Langford^  Avho  published  a  series  of 
articles  in  Scritne/s  Magazine,  which  gave  general  pub- 
licity to  the  news  of  discovery.  He  became  first  Superin- 
tendent of  the  Park. 

Hon.  Cornelius  Hedges,  who  first  proposed  setting  apart 
this  region  as  a  Xational  Park. 

Hon.  Truman  C.  Everts,  ex-TJ.  S.  Assessor  for  Montana, 
whose  experience  upon  the  expedition  forms  the  most  pain- 
ful and  thrilling  chapter  in  the  annals  of  the  Yellowstone. 


DISCOVERY.  75 

Hcfo.  Samuel  T.  Hauser,  President  of  the  First  National 
Bank  of  Helena,  and  later  Governor  of  Montana. 

Walter  Trumbull,  son  of  the  late  Senator  Trumbull.  He 
published  an  account  of  the  expedition  in  the  Overland 
Monthly  for  June,  1871. 

Other  civilian  members  of  the  expedition  were  Benjamin 
Stickney,  Jr.,  Warren  C.  Gillette  and  Jacob  Smith. 

The  personnel  of  this  party  is  sufficient  evidence  of  the 
widespread  interest  which  was  being  taken  at  the  time  in 
tlie  region  of  the  Tpper  Yellowstone. 

The  party  proceeded  from  Helena  to  Fort  Ellis,  one  hun- 
dred and  twenty-five  miles,  where  they  were  to  receive  a 
military  escort  promised  by  General  Hancock,  at  that  time 
commanding  the  department  in  which  Fort  Ellis  was  loca- 
ted. The  post  order  detailing  this  escort  is  dated  August 
21,  1870,  and  directs  Lieutenant  Gusta\ais  C.  Doane,  Sec- 
ond Cavalry,  with  one  sergeant  and  four  privates,  "to 
escort  the  Surveyor-General  of  Montana  to  the  falls  and 
lakes  of  the  Yellowstone  and  return.^'  There  is  a  signifi- 
cant absence  in  this  order  of  any  reference  to  geysers  or 
hot  springs;  and  the  discreet  post  commander  evidently 
did  not  intend  to  commit  himself  to  a  recognition  of  their 
existence  on  the  strength  of  such  knowledge  as  was  then 
available.  His  incredulity  was,  indeed,  largely  shared  by 
the  members  of  the  party  themselves.  Mr.  Hedges  subse- 
quently said: 

"I  think  a  more  confirmed  set  of  skeptics  never  went  out 
into  the  wilderness  than  those  who  composed  our  party, 
and  never  was  a  party  more  completely  surprised  and  cap- 
tivated with  the  wonders  of  nature.^' 

Lieutenant    Doane,    than    whom    no    member    of     the 
expedition  holds  a  more  honorable  place  in  its  historv',  has 
left  on  record  a  similar  confession. 
(4) 


74  THE    YELLOWSTONE    NATIONAL    PARK. 

The  party  as  finally  organized,  including  two  packers 
and  two  colored  cooks^  numbered  nineteen  individuals. 
Thirty-five  horses  and  mules,  thoroughly  equipped  for  a 
month's  absence,  completed  the  "outfit/'  and  made  alto- 
gether quite  an  imposing  cavalcade. 

August  22,  1870,  the  expedition  left  Fort  Ellis,  crossed 
to  the  Yellowstone,  and  ascended  that  stream  through  the 
First  and  Second  Caiions,  past  the  "Devil's  Slide"  and 
Cinnabar  Mountain,  to  the  present  north  boundary  line 
of  the  Park  at  the  mouth  of  the  Gardiner  Eiver.  At  this 
point  they  were  within  five  miles  of  the  celebrated  Mam- 
moth Hot  Springs  which  are  now  the  first  attraction  to 
meet  the  tourist's  e^^e  on  entering  the  Park.  But  the  party 
kept  close  to  the  Yellowstone,  instead  of  taking  the  mod- 
ern route  up  the  Gardiner,  and  missed  this  wonder  alto- 
gether. 

It  was  August  26th  when  the  expedition  entered  the 
present  territory  of  the  Park.  Lieutenant  Doane  and 
Mr.  Everts,  with  one  soldier  and  two  hunters  picked  up 
on  the  way,  rode  in  advance  along  the  brink  of  the  Third 
Canon  and  across  the  high  plateau  between  the  Gardiner 
and  Tower  Creek,  camping  at  nightfall  upon  the  latter 
stream.  In  the  broad  open  valley  near  the  junction  of 
the  Yellowstone  and  East  Fork,  a  small  tepid  sulphur 
sijriug  gave  them  the  first  evidence  of  their  api^roach  to 
the  regions  of  volcanic  acti\aty. 

Xext  day,  the  remainder  of  the  party  arrived.  Two 
days  were  spent  in  examining  the  beautiful  Tower  Falls, 
and — to  our  tyros  in  geyser  exploration — the  wonderful 
hot  spring  formations  to  be  seen  at  that  point.  Here  they 
also  had  for  the  first  time  glimpses  of  the  Grand  Caiion 
of  the  Yellowstone. 

The  party  left  Tower  Creek  on  the  29th  of  August,  and 


DISCOVERY.  75 

followed  up  the  river  over  the  east  Hank  of  Mount  Wash- 
burn. As  their  progress  lifted  them  rapidly  above  the 
surrounding  country,  a  marvelously  beautiful  landscape 
unfolded  itself  to  their  view.  Presently  an  interesting 
incident  occurred,  which  shall  stand  here  in  Lieutenant 
Doane's  own  language : 

^^Through  the  mountain  gap  formed  by  the  canon,  and 
on  the  interior  slopes  some  twenty  [evidently  a  misprint] 
miles  distant,  an  object  now  appeared  which  drew  a  simul- 
taneous expression  of  wonder  from  every  one  of  the  party. 
A  column  of  steam,  rising  from  the  dense  woods  to  the 
height  of  several  hundred  feet,  became  distinctly  visible. 
We  had  all  heard  fabulous  stories  of  this  region,  and  were 
somewhat  skeptical  of  appearances.  At  first  it  was  pro- 
nounced a  fire  in  the  woods,  but  presently  some  one  no- 
ticed that  the  vapor  rose  in  regular  puffs,  as  if  expelled 
with  great  force.  Then  conviction  was  forced  upon  us. 
It  was,  in  deed,  a  great  column  of  steam,  puffing  away  on 
the  lofty  mountain  side,  escaping  with  a  roaring  sound 
audible  at  a  long  distance,  even  tlirough  the  hearj  forest. 
A  hearty  cheer  rang  out  at  this  discovery,  and  we  pressed 
onward  with  renewed  enthusiasm." 

The  party  then  ascended  the  lofty  mountain  to  their 
right,  now  known  as  Mt.  Washburn,  and  from  its  summit 
looked  around  upon  the  vast  panorama  which  is  now  inclu- 
ded in  the  Yellowstone  Xational  Park.  Had  old  James 
Bridger  been  present  at  that  moment,  he  would  have  re- 
ceived ample  vindication  for  long-standing  injustice  at  the 
hands  of  his  incredulous  countrymen.  There  were  the 
Cafion  and  Falls  and  Lake  of  the  Yellowstone  with  evi- 
dence enough  of  boiling  springs  and  geysers !  The  enthu- 
siasm of  the  party  was  unbounded,  and  Lieutenant  Doane 


76  THE    YELLOWSTONE    NATIONAL    PARK. 

exultingly  declares  that  they  were  "more  than  satisfied  with 
the  opening  up  of  the  campaign." 

The  pack-train  continued  its  course  along  the  side  of 
the  mountain,  and  went  into  camp  after  a  march  of  only 
twelve  miles.  That  evening  Messrs.  Washburn,  Doane  and 
Hedges  went  on  ahead  of  the  main  party,  discovering  the 
extensive  mud  springs  at  the  southern  base  of  the  moun- 
tain, and  finally  reached  the  verge  of  a  cliff  beyond  which 
yawned  the  stupendous  Canon  of  the  Yellowstone.  It  was 
the  first  real  view  from  near  by,  but  darkness  prevented 
further  examination. 

The  next  day  saw  the  arrival  of  the  party  at  the  Falls 
of  the  Yellowstone,  close  by  the  mouth  of  Cascade  Creek, 
which,  with  its  Crystal  Falls,  received  that  day  their  pres- 
ent names.  The  remainder  of  this  day,  August  30th,  and 
the  next,  were  spent  in  exploring  the  canon  and  measuring 
the  height  of  the  falls.  ]\Iessrs.  Hauser  and  Stickney  de- 
scended the  sides  of  the  canon  to  the  brink  of  the  river 
about  two  miles  below  the  falls ;  and  Lieutenant  Doane  and 
Private  McConnell  accomplished  the  same  difficult  feat 
further  down.  It  needs  not  to  be  said  that  the  members  of 
the  party  were  profoundly  impressed  with  the  incompara- 
ble scener}^  of  the  Grand  Canon,  although  their  descrip- 
tions of  it  are,  perhaps,  least  satisfactory  of  any  they  have 
left  us. 

From  the  Canon  the  party  ascended  the  now  placid  river 
amid  ever-changing  wonders.  They  passed  Sulphur  Moun- 
tain and  the  uncanny  region  around  the  Mud  Volcano  and 
Mnd  Geyser,  then  crossed  to  the  east  shore  of  the  river  and 
finally  went  into  camp,  September  3d,  on  the  shore  of  the 
Yellowstone  Lake.  Here  our  explorers  were  again  in  ecsta- 
cies,  and  not  without  cause;  for,  seen  under  favoring  con- 


DISCOVERY.  '  77 

ditions  this  "watery  solitude"  is  one  of  the  most  beautiful 
objects  in  nature. 

After  a  day  spent  in  this  camp,  the  expedition  continued 
by  slow  stages  up  the  east  shore  of  the  lake.  Messrs.  Doane 
and  Langford  scaled  the  lofty  Absaroka  Range  just  east  of 
the  lake,  being  the  first  white  men  known  to  have  accom- 
plished this  feat,  and  their  names  now  designate  two  of  its 
noblest  summits. 

September  7th,  the  party  forded  the  Upper  Yellowstone 
and  traversed  the  almost  impassable  labyrinths  of  fallen 
timber  between  the  several  projecting  arms  on  the  south  of 
the  lake.  It  was  on  this  portion  of  the  route,  September 
9th,  that  Mr.  Everts  became  separated  from  his  party,  lost 
his  horse  with  all  his  accouterments,  and  commenced 
those  "thirty-seven  days  of  peril,"  which  so  nearly  cost 
him  his  life.*  This  unfortunate  affair  cast  a  deep  gloom 
• 

*  The  following  succinct  account  of  Everts'  experience  is 
from  the  pen  of  Lieutenant  Doane,  and  is  in  the  main  correct. 
For  Everts'  own  account  see  Scribner's  Monthly,  vol.  III.,  p.  1. 

"On  the  first  day  of  his  absence,  he  had  left  his  horse  stand- 
ing unfastened,  with  all  his  arms  and  equipments  strapried 
upon  his  saddle;  the  animal  became  frightened,  ran  away  into 
the  woods,  and  he  was  left  without  even  a  pocket  knife  as  a 
means  of  defense.  Being  very  near-sighted,  and  totally  un- 
used to  traveling  in  a  wild  country  without  guides,  he  became 
completely  bewildered.  He  wandered  down  to  the  Snake 
River  Lake  [Heart  Lake],  where  he  remained  twelve  days, 
sleeping  near  the  hot  springs  to  keep  from  freezing  at  night, 
and  climbing  to  the  summits  each  day  in  the  endeavor  to 
trace  out  his  proper  course.  Here  he  subsisted  on  thistle- 
roots,  boiled  in  the  springs  and  was  kept  up  a  tree  the  greater 
part  of  one  night  by  a  California  lion.  After  gathering  and 
cooking  a  supply  of  thistle-roots,  he  managed  to  strike  the 
Bouth-west  point  of  the  [Yellowstone]  Lake,  and  followed 
around   the   north   side   of  the   Yellowstone    [River],   finally 


78  THE  YELLOWSTO^"E  NATTOXAL  PARK, 

over  the  little  party  and  seriously  interfered  w-itli  the  prog- 
ress of  the  expedition.  A  week  was  spent  in  searching  for 
the  lost  companion,  without  other  results  than  the  discov- 
ery of  the  hot  springs  basins  at  Heart  Lake  and  on  the  west 
shore  of  the  Yellowstone  Lake. 

At  length  it  was  concluded  that  ^Ir.  Everts  had  either 
been  killed  or  had  wandered  back  home;  and  it  was  re- 
solved  to  wait  no  longer.  The  party  were  surfeited  with 
sight-seeing,  and  believed  that  they  had  now  covered  the 
whole  ground.    They  therefore  determined  to  strike  across 


reaching  our  [old]  camp  opposite  the  Grand  Canon.  He  wag 
twelve  days  out  before  he  thought  to  kindle  a  fire  by  using 
the  lenses  of  his  field-glass,  but  afterward  carried  a  burning 
brand  with  him  in  all  his  wanderings.  Herds  of  g'ame 
passed  by  him  during  the  night,  on  many  occasions  when  he 
was  on  the  verge  of  starvation.  In  addition  to  a  tolerable 
supply  of  thistle  roots,  he  had  nothing  for  over  thirty  days 
but  a  handful  of  minnows  and  a  couple  of  »now-birds.  Twice 
he  went  five  days  without  food,  and  three  days  without  water, 
in  that  country  which  is  a  net-work  of  streams  and  springs. 
He  was  found  on  the  verge  of  the  great  plateau,  above  the 
mouth  of  Gardiner's  River.  A  heavy  snow-storm  had  extin- 
guished his  fire;  his  supply  of  thistle-roots  was  exhausted; 
he  was  partially  deranged,  and  perishing  with  cold.  A  large 
lion  was  killed  near  him,  on  the  trail,  which  he  said  had  fol- 
lowed him  at  a  short  distance  for  several  days  previously.  It 
was  a  miraculous  escape,  considering  the  utter  helplessness  of 
the  man,  lost  in  a  forest  wilderness,  and  witti  the  storms  of 
winter  at  hand." 

On  the  thirty-seventh  day  of  his  wanderings  (September 
9th  to  October  16th),  he  was  discovered  by  Jack  Baronett 
and  George  A.  Pritchett,  near  the  great  trail  on  a  high  moun- 
tain a  few  miles  west  of  Yancey's.  Baronett  threw  up  a 
mound  of  stones  to  mark  the  spot.  He  carried  Everts  in  his 
arms  the  rest  of  that  day,  and  passed  the  night  on  a  small 
tributary  of  Black-tail  Deer  Creek.  The  next  day  he  was 
taken  on  a  saddle  to  near  the  mouth  of  the  Gardiner. 


DTSrOVERY.  ?D 

tlio  m&imtriins  to  the  ^faflipon  and  follow  that  stream  to 
the  settlements.  They  set  out  on  the  morning  of  Septem- 
ber 17th,  over  rugged  hills  and  through  fallen  timber, 
crossing  the  Continental  Divide  twice,  and  camping  that 
night  in  an  open  glade  on  a  small  branch  of  the  Firehoie. 
While  passing  the  second  time  over  the  Divide,  they  caught 
a  glimpse  of  Shoshone  Lake  and  erroneously  thought  it 
to  be  the  head  of  the  Firehoie  River. 

At  9  A.  M.^  September  18th,  the  march  was  resumed. 
The  party  soon  reached  the  Firehoie  just  above  Kepler 
Cascade  and  ttience  followed  down  the  course  of  the  stream. 
Tourists  who  have  visited  the  Park  since  1891,  when  the 
new  road  from  the  Upper  Basin  to  the  Lake  was  opened, 
will  remember  that  immediately  after  leaving  "Old  Faith- 
fuF^  they  plunge  into  an  unbroken  pine  forest  and  see  no 
other  evidences  of  geyser  action  until  they  reach  the  Lake. 
The  situation  of  our  homeward-bound  explorers  can  thus  be 
easily  understood.  They  were  traveling  toward  the  geysers. 
The  dense  forest  concealed  everything  beyond  the  radius 
of  a  few  hundred  feet.  In  unsuspecting  mood,  bent  only 
on  getting  home  to  tell  their  wonderful  story,  and  perhaps 
to  find  their  missing  companion,  they  moved  down  the 
river,  crossing  considerably  below  the  site  of  the  present 
bridge  above  the  Upper  Basin,  and  suddenly  emerged  from 
the  timber  into  an  open  treeless  valley.  It  was  nearly  noon 
of  a  clear,  cool  September  day.  Directly  in  front  of  them, 
scarcely  two  hundred  yards  away,  a  vertical  column  of 
water  and  steam  was  shooting  upward  a  hundred  and  fifty 
feet  into  'the  air.  The  bright  sunlight  turned  the  clear 
water  into  a  mass  of  glittering  crystals,  and  a  gentle  breeze 
wafted  the  vast  white  curtain  of  steam  far  to  the  right 
across  the  valley.  Thus  it  was  that  "Old  Faithful,"  as  if 
forewarned  of  the  approach  of  her  distinguished  visitors, 


80  THE    YELLO^A^TONE    NATIONAL    PARK. 

gave  them  her  most  graceful  salutation;  and  thus  she 
bowed  out  of  the  era  of  tradition  and  fable,  and  ushered 
the  civilized  world  into  the  untrodden  empire  of  the  Fire 
King.  Little  wonder  that  our  astonished  explorers 
"spurred  their  jaded  horses,"  and  "gathered  around  the 
wonderful  phenomenon." 

The  party  spent  only  the  remainder  of  the  day  and  the 
following  morning  in  the  Upper  Basin;  but  in  that  time 
saw  seven  of  the  principal  geysers  in  action,  and  gave  them 
their  present  names.*  They  then  passed  down  the  river 
through  the  Middle  and  Lower  Basins,  but  stopped  to  ex- 
amine only  such  curiosities  as  were  close  by  the  river.  Their 
rations  were  nearly  gone,  their  lost  companion  was  not 
found,  and  the  desire  to  tell  what  they  had  already  seen  was 
greater  than  the  desire  to  see  more.  They  therefore  made 
haste  for  home,  and  on  the  evening  of  September  19th 
encamped  where  the  Firehole  and  Gibbon  Eivers  unite  to 
form  the  Madison.  From  this  point  the  party  journeyed 
steadily  homeward,  conversing  on  the  expedition  of  the 
past  month,  and  planning  how  their  great  discovery  might 
best  be  brought  to  the  attention  of  the  world. 

The  news  of  this  expedition  created  intense  and  wide- 
spread interest  throughout  the  country.  Messrs.  Wash- 
burn, Hedges,  Trumbull,  and  others,  prepared  numerous 
descriptive  articles  for  the  local  Montana  papers,  many  of 
them  among  the  best  that  have  ever  been  written  upon  the 
Park,  and  these  were  reproduced  in  every  important  paper 
in  the  land.  The  Helena  Herald,  of  October  27,  1870,  only 
a  month  after  the  return  of  the  party,  refers  to  the  extra- 
ordinary interest  aroused  by  these  articles,  so  unlike  the 
sixty  years'  indifference  which  had  marked  the  history  of 
this  region. 


*  See  list  of  geysers  in  ApDondix. 


DlSCOVEllY.  81 

.  These  preliminary  and  hasty  reports  were  followed  by 
more  studied  efforts.  Lieutenant  Doane^s  masterly  report 
was  completed  December  15,  1870.  Besides  its  intrinsic 
merit,  it  has  the  distinction  of  being  the  first  official  report 
upon  the  Upper  Yellowstone  country.  It  passed  through 
the  customary  military  channels  and  was  finally  sent  to 
Congress,  February  24,  1871.  Prof.  S.  F.  Baird,  of  the 
Smithsonian  Institution,  also  -  presented  the  information 
gathered  by  Lieutenant  Doane  to  the  Philosophical  Society 
of  Washington  during  the  winter. 

Messrs.  Langford  and  Trumbull  prepared  entertaining 
magazine  articles,  w^hich,  however,  could  not  be  gotten  to 
press  until  the  following  May  and  June.  But  Mr.  Lang- 
ford  in  the  meantime  did  effective  work  from  the  lecture 
stand.  In  Helena,  Minneapolis,  New  York  and  Washing- 
ton, he  told  the  stor}'  of  what  he  had  seen.  In  Washington, 
the  Hon.  James  G.  Blaine,  Speaker  of  the  House,  presided 
at  the  lecture,  and  in  the  audience  was  Dr.  F.  V.  Hayden, 
who  was  destined  to  play  a  prominent  part  in  the  history 
of  the  Yellowstone  Park. 

From  whatever  point  of  view  considered,  this  expedition 
is  one  of  the  most  remarkable  in  our  annals.  From  Helena 
to  the  farthest  point  reached  by  the  party,  the  route  passed 
over  was  nearly  three  hundred  miles  long.  The  region  of  the 
Upper  Yellowstone  is  perhaps  the  most  difficult  of  access 
in  the  entire  country.  Even  to-day,  it  is  an  almost  certain 
place  in  which  to  get  lost,  if  one  is  not  thoroughly  familiar 
with  wilderness  travel  and  happens  to  stray  away  from  the 
beaten  path.  In  1870,  moreover,  the  danger  from  hostile 
Indians  was  a  constant  and  formidable  menace,  and  the 
party  was  more  than  once  reminded  of  it  during  the  prog- 
ress of  the  expedition.  But  in  spite  of  all  these  dilhculties, 
the  success  of  the  enterprise  was  so  complete,  its  incidents 


82  THE   YELLOWSTONE    NATIONAL    PARK. 

were  so  full  of  romance^,  and  its  results  were  so  far-reach- 
ing and  important,  that  it  well  deserves  the  wide  attention 
it  has  received. 

THE  JOINT  GOVERNMENT   EXPEDITION  OF   1871. 

The  direct  result  of  the  expedition  of  1870  was  to  cause 
the  United  States  Geological  Survey  to  change  its  pro- 
gramme for  the  season  of  1871;  so  as  to  give  attention  to 
the  new  wonderland ;  and  also  to  cause  the  military  author- 
ities to  send  a  well-appointed  engineer  party  to  the  same 
locality.  These  two  expeditions,  one  under  Dr.  Hayden 
and  the  other  under  Captains  Barlow  and  Heap,  of  the 
Engineer  Corps  of  the  Army,  moved  for  the  most  part 
together,  camping  near  each  other,  and  accompanied  by  the 
same  military  escort.  Particular  attention  will  here  be 
given  only  to  such  features  of  these  expeditions  as  pertain 
to  new  discoveries. 

At  the  very  outset  of  their  journey  they  branched  off 
from  the  Washburn  route  at  the  mouth  of  the  Gardiner 
River,  and  by  ascending  this  stream,  discovered  the  won- 
derful formations  now  known  as  the  Mammoth  Hot 
Springs.  From  this  point,  the  parties  traveled  eastward  to 
Tower  Creek;  thence  over  Mt.  Washburn,  and  past  the 
Canon  and  Falls,  to  Sulphur  Mountain,  Mud  Geyser,  and 
the  Lake;  thence  by  a  new  route  across  the  mountains  to 
the  Upper  Basin;  thence  east  across  the  mountains  again, 
past  Shoshone  Lake  to  Yellowstone  Lake;  thence  around 
the  head  of  this  body  of  water  to  its  outlet ;  thence  across 
the  country,  by  separate  routes,  to  the  mouth  of  Soda  Butte 
Creek;  and  thence  down  the  East  Fork  to  Baronett 
Bridge  (which  had  been  built  only  a  few  months  before) , 
and  out  of  the  Park  by  way  of  Mammoth  Hot  Springs. 

The  original  work  done  by;^these  parties,   besides  the 


DiscovEnY.  83 

discovery  of  the  springs  on  the  Gardiner,  was  the  opening 
of  a  route  between  the  Yellowstone  River  and  the  Lower 
(acyser  Basin;  the  exploration  of  the  Lower  Basin;  the 
mapping  of  the  shore  line  of  Yellowstone  Lake,  by  Dr. 
Hay  den;  the  mapping  of  the  head  waters  of  the  Snake 
River,  by  Captain  Barlow:  and  some  hasty  explorations  in 
the  valley  of  the  East  Fork  of  the  Yellowstone,  now  call:d 
Lamar  Eiver. 

The  chief  value  of  these  explorations,  however,  was  not 
in  the  line  of  original  discover}^,  but  in  the  large  collection 
of  accurate  data  concerning  the  entire  region.  The  photo- 
graphs were  of  immense  value.  Description  might 
exaggerate,  but  the  camera  told  the  truth;  and  in  this 
case  the  truth  was  more  remarkable  than  exaggeration. 
Unfortunately  for  Captain  Barlow's  collection,  the  great 
Chicago  iire  almost  entirely  destroyed  it.  The  same  cause 
delayed  the  appearance  of  his  report  until  six  weeks  after 
the  Park  Bill  was  passed.  An  interesting  and  complete 
summary,  however,  api^eared  as  a  supplement  in  the 
Chicago  Journal  for  January  13,  1872.  The  report  and 
collection  of  photographs  and  specimens  by  Dr.  Hayden 
were  therefore  the  principal  results  of  this  season's  work, 
and  they  played  a  decisive  part  in  the  events  of  the  winter 
of  1871-2. 

With  the  close  of  the  expedition  of  1871,  the  discovery 
of  the  Yellowstone  wonderland  was  made  complete.  It 
remained  to  see  what  Congress  would  do  with  so  unique 
and  valuable  a  possession. 

BIOGRAPHICAL   NOTES. 

Gustavus  C.  Doane. 
Lieutenant  Doane  was  born  in  Illinois,  May  29,  1840, 
and  died  in  Bozeman^  Mont.^j  May  5,  1892.     xVt  the  age  o^ 


84  THE  YELLOWSTONE  NATIONAL  PARK.- 

five  he  went  with  his  parents^,  in  wake  of  an  ox  team,  to 
Oregon.  In  1849  his  family  went  to  California  at  the  out- 
break of  the  gold  excitement.  He  remained  there  ten 
years,  in  the  meanwhile  working  his  way  through  school. 
In  1862  he  entered  the  Union  service,  went  east  with  the 
California  Hundred,  and  then  joined  a  Massachusetts 
cavalry  regiment.  He  was  mustered  out  in  1865  as  a  First 
Lieutenant.  He  joined  the  Carpet-baggers  and  is  said  to 
have  become  Mayor  of  Yazoo  City,  Mississippi.  He  was 
appointed  Second  Lieutenant  in  the  Regular  Army  in  1868, 
and  continued  in  the  service  until  his  death,  attaining  the 
rank  of  Captain. 

Doane's  whole  career  was  actuated  by  a  love  of  adven- 
ture. He  had  at  various  times  planned  a  voyage  to  the 
Polar  regions,  or  an  expedition  of  discovery  into  Africa. 
But  fate  assigned  him  a  middle  ground,  and  he  became 
prominently  connected  with  the  discovery  of  the  Upper 
Yellowstone  countr}^  His  part  in  the  Expedition  of  1870 
is  second  to  none.  He  made  the  first  official  report  upon 
the  wonders  of  the  Yellowstone,  and  his  fine  descriptions 
have  never  been  surpassed  by  any  subsequent  writer. 
Although  suffering  intense  physical  torture  during  the 
greater  portion  of  the  trip,  it  did  not  extinguish  in  him  the 
truly  poetic  ardor  with  which  those  strange  phenomena 
seem  to  have  inspired  him.  Dr.  H'ayden  says  of  this  report : 
"I  venture  to  state,  as  my  opinion,  that  for  graphic  descrip- 
tion and  thrilling  interest  it  has  not  been  surpassed  by  any 
official  report  made  to  our  government  since  the  times  of 
Lewis  and  Clark.'' 

Nathaniel  Pitt  Langford, 

Mr.  Langford  was  born  August  9,  1832,  in  Westmore- 
land, Oneida  County,  ISTew  York.  His  early  life  was  spent 
on  his  father's  farm,  and  his  education  was  obtained  by 


DISCOVERY.  86 

winter  attendance  at  district  school.  At  nineteen,  he 
became  clerk  in  the  Oneida  Bank  of  Utica.  In  185  i,  he 
went  to  St.  Paul,  where  we  find  him,  in  1855,  cashier  of 
the  banking  house  of  Marshall  &  Co.,  and  in  1858,  cashier 
of  the  Bank  of  the  State  of  Minnesota.  In  1862,  he  went 
to  Montana  as  second  in  command  of  the  Xorthem  Over- 
land Expedition,  consisting  of  130  men  and  53  wagons 
drawn  by  oxen.  In  1864,  he  was  made  Collector  of 
Internal  Eevenue  for  the  new  territory.  In  1868,  he  was 
appointed  by  President  Johnson  Governor  of  Montana, 
but  as  this  was  after  the  Senate's  imbroglio  with  the  Presi- 
dent and  its  refusal  to  confirm  any  more  presidential 
appointments,  he  did  not  reach  this  office.  He  was  one  of 
the  famous  Montana  Vigilantes,  a  member  of  the  Yellow- 
stone Expedition  of  1870,  and  first  Superintendent  of  the 
newly  created  Park.  In  1872,  he  was  appointed  National 
Bank  Examiner  for  the  Pacific  States  and  Territories,  and 
held  the  office  for  thirteen  years.  He  now  resides  in  St. 
Paul,  ^rinnesota.  He  is  author  of  a  series  of  articles  in 
Scrihnc/s  for  1871,  describing  the  newly-discovered  won- 
ders of  the  Yellowstone,  and  of  the  important  work, 
"Vigilante  Days  and  Ways,"  the  most  complete  history  in 
existence  of  that  critical  period  in  Montana  history. 

The  notable  part  which  Mr.  Langford  bore  in  the  dis- 
cover}"  of  the  Upper  Yellowstone  country,  and  in  the  crea- 
tion of  tbe  Yellowstone  National  Park,  has  been  fully  set 
forth  elsewhere.  He  has  always  been  its  ardent  friend,  and 
his  enthusiasm  upon  the  subject  in  the  earlier  days  of  its 
history  drew  upon  him  the  mild  raillery  of  his  friends, 
who  were  wont  to  call  him  "Natiomal  Park"  Langford — a 
sobriquet  to  which  the  initials  of  his  real  name  readily  lent 
themselves. 


86  THE  YELLOWSTONE  NATIONAL  PxVRK. 

Henry  Dana  Washhurn. 

General  Washburn  was  born  in  Windsor,  Vt.,  March  28, 
1832.  His  parents  moved  to  Ohio  during  his  infancy.  Ho 
received  a  common  school  education  and  at  fourteen  began 
teaching  school.  He  entered  Oberlin  College,  but  did  not 
complete  his  course.  At  eighteen  he  went  to  Indiana  where 
he  resumed  school-teaching.  At  twenty-one  he  entered  the 
New  York  State  and  National  Law  School^  from  which  he 
graduated.  At  twenty-three  he  was  elected  auditor  of 
Vermilion  County,  Indiana. 

His  war  record  was  a  highly  honorable  one.  He  entered 
the  army  as  private  in  1861  and  left  it  as  Brevet  Brigadier- 
General  in  1865.  His  service  was  mainly  identified  with 
the  Eighteenth  Indiana,  of  which  he  became  Colonel.  He 
was  in  several  of  the  western  campaigns,  notably  in  that  of 
Vicksburg,  in  which  he  bore  a  prominent  part.  In  the  last 
year  of  the  war  he  was  with  Sherman's  army,  and  for  a 
short  time  after  its  close  was  in  command  of  a  military 
district  in  Southern  Georgia.  In  1864,  he  was  elected  to 
Congress  over  the  Hon.  Daniel  W.  Voorhees,  and  again,  in 
1866,  over  the  Hon.  Solomon  W.  Claypool.  At  the  expira- 
tion of  his  second  term  he  was  appointed  by  President 
Grant,  surveyor-general  of  Montana,  which  office  he  held 
until  his  death. 

It  was  during  his  residence  in  Montana  that  the  famous 
Yellowstone  Expedition  of  1870  took  place.  His  part  in 
that  important  work  is  perhaps  the  most  notable  feature 
of  his  career.  As  leader  of  the  expedition  he  won  the 
admiration  and  affection  of  its  members.  He  was  the  first 
to  send  to  Washington  specimens  from  the  geyser  forma- 
tions. He  ardently  espoused  the  project  of  setting  apart 
this  region  as  a  public  park,  and  was  on  his  way  to  Wash- 
ington in  its  interest  when  his  career  was  cut  short  by 


DISCOVERY.  87 

death.  The  hardship  and  exposure  of  the  expedition  had 
precipitated  the  catastrophe  to  which  he  had  long  been 
tending.  He  left  Helena  in  November,  1870,  and  died  of 
consumption  at  lus  home  in  Clinton,  Indiana,  January 
26,  1871. 

Ferdinand  Vandiveer  Hay  den, 

"Doctor  Hayden  was  born  at  Westfield,  Massachusetts, 

September    7,    1829 His    father   died    when 

he  was  about  ten  years  of  age,  and  about  two  years  later  he 
went  to  live  with  an  uncle  at  Eochester,  in  Lorain  County, 
Ohio,  where  he  remained  for  six  years.  He  taught  in  the 
country  district  schools  of  the  neighborhood  during  his 
sixteenth  and  seventeenth  years,  and  at  the  age  of  eighteen 
went  to  Oberlin  College,  where  he  graduated  in  1850.  .  .  . 

"He  studied  medicine  with  Dr.  J.  S.  Newberry,  at  Cleve- 
land, and  at  Albany  was  graduated  Doctor  of  Medicine  in 
the  early  part  of  1853.  After  his  graduation,  he  was  sent 
by  Prof.  James  Hall,  of  New  York,  to  the  Bad  Lands  of 
White  River,  in  Dakota.  The  years  1851  and  1855  he  spent 
exploring  and  collecting  fossils  in  the  Upper  Missouri 
country,  mainly  at  his  own  expense.  From  1856  until 
1859,  he  w^as  connected  as  geologist  with  the  expeditions  of 
Lieutenant  AYarren;  engaged  in  explorations  in  Nebraska 
and  Dakota.  From  1859  until  1862,  he  was  surgeon,  nat- 
uralist, and  geologist  with  Captain  W.  F.  Eaynolds,  in  the 
exploration  of  the  Yellowstone  and  Missouri  Elvers.  In 
October,  1862,  he  was  appointed  acting  assistant  surgeon 
and  assistant  medical  inspector  until  June,  1865,  when  he 
resigned,  and  was  brcvetted  Lieutenant-Colonel  for  meri- 
torious services  during  the  war.  He  then  resumed  his 
scientific  work,  and  in  1866  made  another  trip  to  the  Bad 
Lands  of  Dakota,  this  time  in  the  interest  of  the  Academy 
of  Natural  Sciences  of  Philadelphia.     In  1865,  he  was 


88  THE    YELLOWSTONE    NATIONAL    PARK. 

elected  professor  of  mineralogy  and  geology  in  the  Univer- 
sity of  Pennsylvania,  which  position  he  resigned  in  1872. 
From  1867  to  1879,  his  history  is  that  of  the  organization 
of  which  he  had  charge,  which  began  as  a  geological  survey 
of  Xebraska,  and  became  finally  the  Geological  Sun^ey  of 
the  Territories.  .  .  .  From  1879  until  December, 
1886,  he  was  connected  with  the  United  States  Geological 
Survey  as  geologist.  His  health  began  to  fail  soon  after  his 
connection  with  this  organization,  and  gradually  became 
worse,  and  he  lived  only  a  year  after  his  resignation. 

"In  1876,  the  degree  of  LL.D.  was  conferred 
upon  him  by  the  University  of  Eochester,  and  in  June, 
1886,  he  received  the  same  degree  from  the  University  of 
Pennsylvania.  He  was  a  member  of  seventeen  scientific 
societies  in  the  United  States,  among  them  the  Xational 
Academy  of  Sciences,  and  was  honorary  and  corresponding 
member  of  some  seventy  foreign  societies.  A  bibliography 
of  his  writing  includes  158  titles. 

".  .  .  The  diffidence,  approaching  even  timidity, 
which  impressed  his  fellow-students  at  Oberlin,  character- 
ized Dr.  Hay  den  throughout  his  life,  and  rendered  it  some- 
what difficult  for  those  who  did  not  know  him  intimately 
to  understand  the  reasons  for  his  success,  which  was  un- 
doubtedly due  to  his  eneTgy  and  perseverance,  qualities 
which  were  equally  characteristic  of  him  as  a  boy  and 
student  and  in  later  life.  His  desire  to  forward  the  cause 
of  science  was  sincere  and  enthusiastic,  and  he  was  always 
ready  to  modify  his  views  upon  the  presentation  of  evi- 
dence. He  was  intensely  nervous,  frequently  impulsive,  but 
ever  generous,  and  his  honesty  and  integrity  were  un- 
doubted. The  greater  part  of  his  work  for  the  government 
and  for  science  was  a  labor  of  love.''* 


*  Bulletin  PhilosopMcal  Society  of  Washington,  Vol.  VL,  pp. 
476-8. 


CHAPTER  X. 

THE  NATIONAL  PARK  IDEA — ITS  ORIGIN   AND   REALIZATION. 

Since  the  Park  was  created  and  has  to  such  a  marked 
degree  received  the  approval  of  the  people,  numerous 
claimants  have  arisen  for  the  honor  of  having  first  sug- 
gested the  idea.  In  truth;,  no  special  credit  for  originality 
should  attach  to  the  matter.  It  was  a  natural,  an  unavoid- 
able proposition.  To  those  who  first  saw  these  wonders, 
and  were  aiot  so  absorbed  with  gold-seeking  as  to  be  incapa- 
ble cf  appreciating  their  importance,  it  was  clear  that, 
within  a  few  years,  they  must  become  objects  of  universal 
interest.  It  was  equally  clear  that  the  land  around  them 
would  soon  be  taken  up-  by  private  parties,  and  that  the 
beautiful  formations  would  be  carried  off  for  mercenary  pur- 
poses ;  in  short,  that  the  early  history  of  Niagara  and  of  the 
Yosemite  would  repeat  itself  in  the  Yellowstone.  To  avoid 
such  a  calamity  only  one  course  was  open,  and  that  was  for 
the  government  to  retain  control  of  the  entire  region.  Tliat 
the  necessity  of  such  a  course  should  have  been  set  forth 
independently  by  several  different  parties,  as  we  find  it  to 
have  been,  is  therefore  not  in  the  least  surprising. 

But  inasmuch  as  the  development  of  the  project  must 
have  started  from  some  one  source,  it  is  of  interest  histor- 
ically to  determine  what  this  source  was.  We  find  it  to 
have  been  the  Washburn  Expedition  of  1870.*    The  subject 


•  Mr.  Folsom  deserves  mention  In  this  connection.  In  the 
manuscript  of  his  article  in  the  Western  Monthly  was  a  refer- 
ence to  the  Park  idea;  but  the  publishers  cut  out  a  large  part 
of  his  paper,  giving  only  th-e  descriptions  of  the  natural  won- 

(4*) 


90  THE    YELLOWSTONE    NATIONAL    PARK. 

was  discussed  by  the  party  at  the  first  camp  after  leaving 
the  geyser  regions  near  the  junction  of  the  Firehole  and 
Gibbon  Eivers.  The  date  was  September  19,  1870.  The 
members  of  the  party  were  sitting  around  the  camp-fire 
after  supper,  conversing  about  what  they  had  seen,  and 
picturing  to  themselves  the  important  pleasure  resort 
which  so  wonderful  a  region  must  soon  become.  The 
natural  impulse  to  turn  the  fruits  of  discovery  to  the  per- 
sonal profit  of  the  discoverer  made  its  appearance,  and  it 
was  suggested  that  it  would  be  a  "profitable  speculation" 
to  take  up  land  around  the  various  objects  of  interest.  The 
conversation  had  not  proceeded  far  on  these  lines  when 
one  of  the  party,  Cornelius  Hedges,  interposed  and  said  that 
private  ownership  of  that  region,  or  any  part  of  it,  ought 
never  to  be  countenanced ;  but  that  it  ought  to  be  set  apart 
by  the  government  and  forever  held  to  the  unrestricted  use 
of  the  people.  This  higher  view  of  the  subject  found 
immediate  acceptance  with  the  other  members  of  the  party. 
It  was  agreed  that  the  project  should  be  at  once  set  afoot 
and  pushed  vigorously  to  a  finish. 

As  soon  as  the  party  reached  Helena,  a  series  of  articles 
appeared  in  the  daily  papers  of  that  city  describing  the  late 
expedition^  and  in  one  of  them,  written  by  Mr.  Hedges  and 
published  in  the  Helena  Herald  November  9,  1870,  occurs 
what  is  believed  to  be  the  first  public  reference  to  the  Park 
project. 

The  next  mention  of  the  subject  was  in  ^Ir.  Langford's 
lecture,  delivered,  as  already  related,  in  Washington,  Jan- 
uary 19,  1871;  in  New  York,  January  21,  1871;  and  at  a 


ders,  and  this  reference  was  cut  out  with  the  rest.  Mr.  Folsom 
also  suggested  the  idea  to  General  Washburn,  of  which  fact 
Mr.  N.  P.  Langford  is  still  a  living  witness.  From  Mr.  Fol- 
som's  suggestion,  however,  ^o  direct  result  can  be  traced. 


NATIONAL  PARK  IDEA — ORIGIN  AND  REALIZATION.         91 

later  date  in  Minneapolis.  At  each  of  these  places  he  closed 
his  lecture  with  a  reference  to  the  importance  of  setting 
apart  this  region  as  a  National  Park.  The  New  York 
Tribune  of  January  23,  1871,  thus  quotes  Mr.  Langford: 

"This  is  probably  the  most  remarkable  region  of  natural 
attractions  in  the  world;  and,  while  we  already  have  our 
Niagara  and  Yosemite,  this  new  field  of  wonders  should 
be  at  once  withdrawn  from  occupancy,  and  set  apart  as  a 
public  National  Park  for  the  enjoyment  of  the  American 
people  for  all  time." 

Such  is  the  origin  of  the  idea  which  has  found  realiza- 
tion in  our  present  Yellowstone  Park.  The  history  of  the 
Act  of  dedication,  by  which  the  Park  was  created,  may  be 
briefly  told.  The  general  plan  for  a  vigorous  prosecution 
of  the  project  was  arranged  in  Helena,  Montana,  mainly  by 
Nathaniel  P.  Langford,  Cornelius  Hedges  and  William  H. 
Clagett,  who  had  just  been  elected  delegate  to  Congress 
from  Montana,  and  who  had  already  himself  independently 
urged  the  importance  of  converting  this  region  into  a 
public  park.  Mr.  Langford  went  to  Washington  when 
Congress  convened,  and  he  and  Mr.  Clagett  drew  the  Park 
Bill,  except  as  to  description  of  boundaries,  which  was 
furnished  by  Dr.  Hayden.  The  bill  was  introduced  in  the 
House  by  Mr.  Clagett,  December  18,  1871.  Senator 
Pomeroy,  of  Kansas,  had  expressed  a  desire  to  perforai  a 
like  service  in  the  Senate,  a^d  accordingly  Mr.  Clagett,  as 
soon  as  he  had  presented  the  measure  to  the  House,  took  a 
copy  to  the  Senate  Chamber  and  gave  it  to  Senator  Pom- 
eroy, who  immediately  introduced  it.  In  each  House  it 
was  referred  to  the  Committee  on  Public  Lands.  In  the 
Senate  no  formal  report  was  prepared.  In  the  House  the 
Hon.  Mark  H.  Dunnell,  of  Minnesota,  chairman  of  the 
sub-committee  having  the  bill  in  charge^  addressed  a  letter 


92  THE    YELLOWSTONE    NATIONAL    PARK. 

under  date  of  January  27,  1872,  to  the  Secretary  of  the 
Interior,  asking  his  opinion  upon  the  proposed  measure. 
The  Secretary  replied,  under  date  of  January  29th,  fully 
indorsing  the  project,  and  submitting  a  brief  report  by  Dr. 
Hayden,  which  forcibly  presented  all  the  main  features  of 
the  case. 

The  bill,  being  thus  before  Congress,  was  put  through 
mainly  by  the  efforts  of  three  men,  Dr.  F.  V.  Hayden, 
N.  P.  Langford  and  Delegate  William  H.  Clagett.  Dr. 
Hayden  occupied  a  commanding  position  in  this  work,  as 
representative  of  the  government  in  the  exploration  of 
1871.  He  was  thoroughly  familiar  with  the  subject,' and 
was  equipped  with  an  exhaustive  collection  of  photographs 
and  specimens  gathered  the  previous  summer.  These  were 
placed  on  exhibition,  and  were  probably  seen  by  all  mem- 
bers of  Congress.  They  did  a  work  which  no  other  agency 
could  do,  and  doubtless  convinced  ever}-  one  who  saw  them 
that  the  region  where  such  wonders  existed  should  be  care- 
fully preserved  to  the  people  forever.  Dr.  Hayden  gave  to 
the  cause  the  energy  of  a  genuine  enthusiasm,  and  his  work 
that  winter  will  always  hold  a  prominent  place  in  the  his- 
tory of  the  Park. 

Mr.  Langford,  as  already  stated,  had  publicly  advocated 
the  measure  in  the  previous  winter.  He  had  rendered 
service  of  the  utmost  importance,  through  his  publication 
in  Scrihners  Magazine  in  the  preceding  May  and  June. 
Four  hundred  copies  of  these  magazines  were  brought  and 
placed  upon  the  desks  of  members  of  Congress  on  the  days 
when  the  measure  was  to  be  brought  to  vote.  During  the 
entire  winter  Mr.  Langford  devoted  much  of  his  time  to 
the  promotion  of  this  work. 

The  Hon.  William  H.  Clagett,  as  delegate  from  the 
Territory  most  directlv  interested  in  the  passage  of  the 


NATIONAL  PARK  IDEA ORIGIN  AKD  REALIZATION.  93 

bill,  took  an  active  personal  part  in  its  advocacy  from 
beginning  to  end. 

Through  the  efforts  of  these  three  gentlemen,  and  others 
less  conspicuously  identified  with  the  work,  this  measure 
received  perhaps  the  most  thorough  canvass  of  any  bill 
that  has  ever  passed  Congress.  All  the  members  were  per- 
sonally visited  and,  with  few  exceptions,  won  to  the  cause. 
The  result  was  a  practical  unanimity  of  opinion  when  the 
measure  came  to  a  vote.  This  first  took  place  in  the  Senate, 
the  bill  being  passed  by  that  body  January  30th.  It  was 
warmly  supported  upon  its  passage  by  several  members 
and  opposed  by  one,  Senator  Cole,  of  California ;  a  fact  the 
more  remarkable  because  that  Senator  had  in  his  own  State 
— in  the  preemption  by  private  parties  of  the  Yosemite 
wonderland — the  most  convincing  example  possible  of  the 
wisdom  of  such  a  measure  as  that  proposed. 

The  Senate  bill  came  up  from  the  Speaker's  table  in  the 
House  of  Eepresentatives,  February  27th.  Mr.  Bunnell 
stated  that  the  Committee  on  Public  Lands  had  instructed 
him  to  ask  the  House  to  pass  the  Senate  bill.  Hon.  H.  L. 
Dawes,  of  Massachusetts,  warmly  advocated  the  measure, 
which  was  then  passed  by  a  decisive  vote.*  The  bill 
received  the  President's  signature  March  1,  1872.  f 


•  No  yea  and  nay  vote  was  taken  in  tlie  Senate.  The  vote  In 
the  House  was — yeas,  115;  nays,  65;  not  voting,  60. 

tTHE  ACT  OF  DEDICATION. 
An  Act  to  set  apart  a  certain  tract  of  land  lying  near  the  head- 
waters of  the  Yellowstone  River  as  a  public  park. 

Be  it  enacted  hy  the  Senate  and  House  of  Representatives  of 
the  United  States  of  America  in  Congress  assembled,  That  the 
tract  of  land  in  the  Territories  of  Montana  and  Wyoming 
lying  near  the  headwaters  of  the  Yellowstone  River  and  de- 
scribed as  follows,  to-wit:  Commencing  at  the  junction  of 
Gardiner's  River  with  the  Yellowstone  River  and  running  east 


94  THE    YELLOWSTONE    NATIONAL    PARK. 

Perhaps  no  act  of  our  national  Congress  lias  received 
such  general  approbation  at  home  or  such  profuse  com- 
mendation from  foreigners  as  that  creating  the  Yellow- 
stone Xational  Park.  The  lapse  of  time  only  serves  to  con- 
firm and  extend  its  importance;  and  to  give  additional 
force  to  the  sentiment  so  well  expressed  by  the  Earl  of 
Dunraven  when  he  visited  the  Park  in  1874 : 

^'All  honor  then  to  the  United  States  for  having  be- 
queathed as  a  free  gift  to  man  the  beauties  and  curiosities 
of  'Wonderland/    It  was  an  act  worthy  of  a  great  nation, 


to  the  meridian,  passing  ten  miles  to  the  eastward  of  the  most 
eastern  point  of  Yellowstone  Lake;  thence  south  along  the  said 
meridian  to  the  parallel  of  latitude,  passing  ten  miles  south  of 
the  most  southern  point  of  Yellowstone  Lake;  thence  west  along 
said  parallel  to  the  meridian,  passing  fifteen  miles  west  of  the 
most  western  point  of  Madison  I-ake;  thence  north  along  said 
meridian  to  the  latitude  of  the  junction  of  the  Yellowstone  and 
Gardiner's  Rivers;  thence  east  to  the  place  of  beginning,  is 
hereby  reserved  and  withdrawn  from  settlement,  occupancy,  or 
sale  under  the  laws  of  the  United  States,  and  dedicated  and 
6et  apart  as  a  public  park  or  pleasuring  ground  for  the  benefit 
and  enjoyment  of  the  people;  and  all  persons  who  shall  locate, 
or  settle  upon,  or  occupy  the  same  or  any  part  thereof,  except 
as  hereinafter  provided,  shall  be  considered  trespassers  and 
removed  therefrom. 

Sec.  2.  That  said  public  park  shall  be  under  the  exclusive 
control  of  the  Secretary  of  the  Interior,  whose  duty  it  shall 
be,  as  soon  as  practicable,  to  make  and  publish  such  rules  and 
regulations  as  he  may  deem  necessary  or  proper  for  the  care 
and  management  of  the  same.  Svch  regulations  shall  provide 
for  the  preservation  from  injury  or  spoliation  of  all  timber, 
mineral  deposits,  natural  curiosities  or  wonders  within  said 
park,  and  their  retention  in  their  natural  condition. 

The  Secretary  may,  in  his  discretion,  grant  leases  for  build- 
ing purposes,  for  terms  not  exceeding  ten  years,  of  small  par- 
cels of  ground,  at  such  places  in  said  park  as  shall  require  the 
erection  of  buildings  for  the  accommodation  of  visitors;  all  of 


NA.TTOJCAL  PARK  IDEA OnTGTX  AXD  REALIZATION.  9o 

and  she  will  have  her  reward  in  the  praise  of  the  present 
army  of  tourists,  no  less  than  in  the  thanks  of  the  genera- 
tions of  them  yet  to  come/'* 

It  was  a  notable  act,  not  only  on  account  of  the  trans- 
cendent importance  of  the  territory  it  was  designed  to  pro- 
tect, but  because  it  was  a  marked  innovation  in  the  tradi- 
tional policy  of  governments.  From  time  immemorial 
privileged  classes  have  been  protected  by  law  in  the  with- 
drawal, for  the  exclusive  enjoyment,  of  immense  tracts 
for  forests,  parks  and  game  preserves.  But  never  before 
was  a  region  of  such  vast  extent  as  the  Yellowstone  Park 
set  apart  for  the  use  of  all  the  people  without  distinction  of 
rank  or  wealth. 

The  example  thus  set  by  the  United  States  has  been 
widely  followed,  We  have  now  the  Yosemite  and  Sequoia 
National  Parks,  and  numerous  parks  upon  the  sites  of  great 
battlefields.    The  State  of  Xew  York  has  a  Niagara  Park 


the  proceeds  of  said  leases,  and  all  other  revenue  that  may  be 
derived  from  any  source  connected  with  said  park,  to  be  ex- 
pended under  his  direction  in  the  management  of  the  same 
and  the  construction  of  roads  and  bridle-paths,  and  shall 
provide  against  the  wanton  destruction  of  the  fish  and  game 
found  within  said  park  and  against  their  capture  or  de- 
struction for  the  purpose  of  merchandise  or  profit.  He  shall 
also  cause  all  persons  trespassing  upon  the  same  after  the  pas- 
sage of  this  act  to  be  removed  therefrom,  and  generally  shall 
be  authorized  to  take  all  such  measures  as  shall  be  necessary 
or  proper  to  fully  carry  out  the  objects  and  purposes  of  this 
act 

Approved  March  1,  1872. 
Signed  by: 

James  G.  Blaine,  Speaker  of  the  House. 

Schuyler  Colfax.  Vice  President  of  the  United  States  and 
President  of  the  Senate. 

UiAssEs  S.  Grant,  President  of  the  United  States. 

♦  Page  xi.,  "The  Great^Clxlde." 


96  THE   YELLOWSTONE    NATIONAL   PARK. 

and  contemplates  setting  apart  a  portion  of  the  Adiron- 
dac  region.  Minnesota  has  the  Itasca  State  Park,  includ- 
ing the  sources  of  the  Mississippi.  Canada  also  has  a  pub- 
lic park  at  Niagara,  and  a  large  reservation  in  the  midst 
of  the  finest  scenery  of  the  Eocky  Mountains.  New  Zea- 
land has  set  apart  for  public  use  the  region  of  her  hot 
springs  and  geysers.  Finally  the  question  has  been  mooted 
of  reserving  a  vast  tract  of  Africa  wherein  the  large  game 
of  that  continent  may  be  kept  from  annihilation.* 


*  In  the  first  edition  of  this  work  the  author  represented 
George  Catlin,  the  well-known  painter  of  Indian  scenes  and 
portraits,  as  having  originated  the  Park  idea.  This  was  hardly 
a  correct  position.  Catlin's  idea  of  a  National  Park  was  solely 
as  a  home  for  the  Indians — a  "Nation's  Park,  containing  man 
and  beast  in  all  the  wildness  and  freshness  of  their  nature's 
beauty."  He  was  an  enthusiast  upon  that  subject,  as  the  fol- 
lowing reference  to  it  will  show:  "I  would  ask  no  other 
monument  to  my  memory,  nor  any  other  enrollment  of  my 
name  among  the  famous  dead,  than  the  reputation  of  having 
been  the  founder  of  such  an  institution." 

His  scheme  had  no  possible  reference  to  the  geyser  regions, 
of  which  he  most  probably  never  heard,  and  his  name  can  not 
be  considered  in  connection  with  those  who  originated  the  idea 
of  the  Yellowstone  Park. 


CHAPTER  XI. 


WHY  SO  LONG  UNKNOWN. 


There  is  no  more  singular  fact  connected  with  the  his- 
tory of  the  Upper  Yellowstone  country  than  its  long 
ininumity  from  the  presence  of  white  men.  From  the  date 
when  Lewis  and  Clark  first  stood  at  the  Three  Forks  of  the 
Missouri,  less  than  one  hundred  miles  distant  from  this 
notable  region,  sixty-five  years  elapsed  before  it  was  fully 
known.  In  the  meantime  all  the  surrounding  country  had 
been  thoroughly  explored.  Cities,  villages,  farms  and  high- 
ways had  been  established  throughout  the  West.  A  rail- 
road had  been  built  across  the  continent.  But  around  the 
head  waters  of  the  Yellowstone,  the  most  attractive  region 
of  all,  it  was  still  terra  incognita,  A  fact  so  remarkable 
requires  explanation. 

The  most  difficult  feature  of  the  question  is  the  fact  that 
little  knowledge  of  this  region  appears  ever  to  have  been 
derived  from  the  Indians.  Lewis  and  Clark  were  told  of 
the  Great  Falls  of  the  ^lissouri,  and  of  other  notable  geo- 
graphical features,  long  before  they  saw  them.  But  of  the 
far  more  wonderful  Falls  of  the  Yellowstone,  of  the  great 
lake  in  the  mountains,  or  of  the  marvelous  volcanic 
phenomena  in  the  same  neighborhood,  they  received  no 
hint.  There  is  not  a  single  instance  on  record,  so  far  as 
we  can  discover,  except  in  the  meager  facts  noted  in  an 
earlier  chapter,  where  rumors  of  this  strange  country  appear 
to  have  fallen  from  the  lips  of  Indians.  And  yet  it  was 
not  a  region  unknown  to  them,  for  they  had  certainly 
passed  back  and  forth  across  it  for  a  long  period  in  the 
(5) 


98  THi:    YELLOWSTONE    NATIONAL    PARK. 

past.  Their  deep  silence  coneerniDg  it  is  therefore  no  lesa 
remarkable  than  mysterious. 

But  how  was  it  that  the  long  period  of  the  fur  trade 
should  have  passed  without  disclosing  this  country?  To 
this  question  a  more  satisfactory  answer  may  bo  returned. 
The  Upper  Yellowstone  country  was  indeed^  as  we  have 
seen,  frequently  visited  in  these  early  years.  But  it  was 
never  favorite  territory.  Old  trappers  say  that,,  although  it 
abounded  in  beaver,  they  were  not  so  plentiful  as  in  lower 
altitudes,  while  on  the  streams  impregnated  with  mineral 
matter,  the  furs  were  not  so  good.  The  seasons  also  were 
unpropitious.  The  winter  snows  were  so  deep— they  came 
so  early  and  remained  so  late— that  little  could  be  done 
there  except  from  the  middle  of  June  to  the  middle  of 
September.  But  furs  taken  during  the  summer  months 
are  of  inferior  quality,  and  there  was  consequently  no 
inducement  to  trap.  Moreover  it  was  generally  at  this  time 
that  the  gatherings  at  posts  and  rendezvous  took  place, 
and  after  these  were  over  but  little  time  remained.  Causes 
like  these  prevented  extensive  operations  in  this  region, 
and  doutbless  only  a  comparatively  small  number  of  trap- 
pers ever  saw  it. 

Then,  the  interest  of  the  trader  was  against  the  dissem- 
ination of  any  knowledge  which  might  induce  immigi-ation 
and  hasten  the  certain  ruin  of  his  occupation.  The  stress 
of  competition  also  caused  him  to  remain  silent  concerning 
the  places  he  had  seen,  lest  a  rival  should  profit  thereby. 
He  took  no  pains  to  reveal  the  country,  and  the  trappers 
were  too  illiterate  to  do  so  had  they  wished.  With  the  few 
notable  exceptions  which  have  been  mentioned  in  a  previ- 
ous chapter,  no  important  press  notice  of  these  regions 
appeared  during  the  entire  sixty-five  years. 

The  fur  business  itself  quickly  ran  its  course,  and  "vvith 


WHY  SO  LONG  UNKNOWN.  99 

it  disappeared  all  probability  of  an  early  discovery  of  the 
geyser  regions  from  this  cause.  The  war  with  Mexico  fol- 
lowed, with  the  vast  cession  of  territory  which  it  secured. 
Then  came  the  highly  important  discovery  of  gold  in  Cali- 
fornia. Already  the  Mormon  emigration  had  taken  place. 
These  great  events  completely  changed  the  character  and 
purpose  of  western  exploration.  The  whole  West  was 
forgotten  excepting  only  California  and  the  Salt  Lake 
Valley,  and  the  routes  leading  to  them.  Xone  of  these  led 
close  to  the  geyser  regions.  On  the  north  were  the  British 
fur  trader's  route,  and  the  Missouri  Eiver  route,  both  of 
which  led  directly  west  to  the  Columbia.  To  the  south  was 
the  great  thoroughfare  along  the  Platte  Eiver  and  through 
South  Pass,  leading  to  Utah,  California  and  Oregon.  Still 
further  south  were  the  long  known  routes  near  the  border 
of  Old  Mexico.  It  was  hopelessly  improbable  that  gold 
seekers  bound  to  the  Pacific  Coast  along  any  of  these  routes 
would  stray  into  the  mountain  fastnesses  about  the  sources 
of  the  y  ellowstone. 

I'inally  the  whole  energy  of  the  government  in  the  field 
of  exploration  was  directed  away  from  this  region.  In  the 
period  from  ISO-l-G,  the  date  of  I^wis  and  Clark's  Expedi- 
tion, to  1870,  the  date  of  the  real  discovery  of  the  Park, 
there  were  no  fewer  than  one  hundred  and  ten  explorations 
in  the  country  west  of  the  Mississippi,  nearly  all  of  which 
had  government  authorit}',  and  were  conducted  on  a  scien- 
tific basis.  Of  these  eighty-four  were  in  the  territory  lately 
acquired  from  Mexico,  and  mostly  in  the  far  South  and 
West.  Nineteen  were  east  of  the  Bighorn  Mountains,  five 
north  of  the  Yellowstone,  and  only  two  in  the  region  about 
the  Upper  Yellowstone.  Of  these  two  expeditions  one  was 
that  of  Lewis  and  Clark,  and  was  in  no  wise  intended  to 
explore  the  Upper  Y^'ellowstone   further  than   might  be 


100  THE    YELLOWSTONE    NATIONAL   PARK. 

necessary  to  find  a  good  route  to  the  Pacific.  This  leaves 
but  a  single  expedition  of  the  whole  number,  that  of 
Captain  Raynolds,  which  was  directed  to  this  specific  terri- 
tory. How  the  purpose  of  this  expedition  was  defeated  by 
the  heavy  snow  in  the  mountains  and  by  the  solar  eclipse 
of  18fi0,  has  been  elsewhere  related. 

And  so  it  came  about  that  it  was  the  gold-seeker  who 
finally  revealed  the  well-kept  secret  of  the  Yellowstone. 
Itself  destitute  of  mineral  wealth,  this  region  could  not 
escape  the  ubiquitous  prospector.  It  was  not,  indeed^  by 
him  that  it  was  publicly  proclaimed  to  the  world.  He 
cared  little  for  any  country  that  was  destitute  of  "color'' 
or  "pay.''  But  the  hints  he  dropped  put  others  on  the 
track  and  opened  the  door  to  real  discovery. 

This  fact  of  long  delay  in  the  discovery  of  the  Upper 
Yellowstone  is  the  most  important  in  its  history.  Had  it 
been  known  at  an  earlier  date,  its  fate  would  have  been 
deplorably  different*.  The  period  of  the  fur  trade  was  too 
early  for  the  interest  of  the  people  to  demand,  or  the  power 
of  the  government  to  enforce,  its  protection.  If  Captain 
Raynolds  had  discovered  it,  all  its  most  valuable  tracts 
would  have  beeii  pre-empted  long  before  the  government 
would  have  been  able  to  give  it  attention.  Fortunately, 
the  discovery  was  delayed  until  there  was  a  considerable 
population  in  the  country  near  by,  and  the  government  was 
prepared  actively  to  consider  the  matter.  Before  settlers 
could  establish  a  permanent  foothold,  the  Papk  was  cre- 
ated, and  all  the  vexatious  obstacles,  which  might  other- 
wise have  defeated  the  project,  were  avoided. 


CHAPTER  XII. 

LATER  EXPLORATIONS. 

As  soon  as  the  remarkable  character  of  the  countr}-  about 
the  sources  of  the  Yellowstone  became  generally  known, 
there  was  a  rush  of  explorers  to  its  borders.  Every  expedi- 
tion that  could  possibly  extend  the  field  of  its  labors  in  that 
direction  did  so,  and  there  was  scarcely  a  summer  during 
the  next  twenty  years  that  the  Park  was  not  the  scene  of 
some  official  exploration  or  visit. 

By  far  the  most  important  of  these  were  the  various 
expeditions  under  the  United  States  Geological  Survey. 
Dr.  Hay  den  was  again  in  the  country  with  two  parties  in 
1872,  and  very  widely  extended  the  range  of  observations 
of  the  previous  year.  In  1878,  survey  parties  again 
entered  the  Park  and  resumed  work  there  on  a  much  more 
minute  and  extensive  scale.  The  result  of  that  year's 
explorations  appeared  in  1883  in  the  form  of  an  elaborate 
report  by  Dr.  Hayden  and  his  co-workers,  which  entered 
with  much  detail  into  the  more  important  subjects  of 
scientific  interest.  It  was  embellished  with  a  great  number 
of  engravings  and  colored  plates,  and  with  an  exhaustive 
series  of  topographical  and  geological  maps.  The  work 
was  again  taken  up  in  1883,  and  was  continued  for  several 
years.  All  questions  of  scientific  importance  were  investi- 
gated more  thoroughly  than  ever  before,  and  many  valuable 
official  reports  and  monographs,  together  witli  a  superb 
map,  have  been  the  result. 

In  1872,  General  John  Gibbon,  U.  S.  A.,  with  a  consid- 
erable party,  made  a  tour  of  the  Park,  passing  by  the  usual 


102  THE    YELLOAVSTONE    NATIONAL    PARK. 

route  from  Mammoth  Hot  Springs  via  Mt.  Washburn, 
the  Grand  Caiion,  and  the  Lake,  to  the  Firehole  Geyser 
Basins.  On  his  way  home  he  attempted  to  ascend  the 
North  Fork  of  the  ^ladison,  following  an  old  trail ;  but  he 
abandoned  the  attempt  after  going  a  few  miles.  His  name, 
which  was  given  to  the  river,  has  also  attached  to  many 
other  features  along  that  valley. 

In  1873,  Captain  William  A.  Jones,  of  the  Corps  of 
Engineers,  .passed  through  the  Park  as  part  of  a  more 
extended  reconnaissance. .  He  was  the  first  to  carry  a  party 
through  tlie  "impassable  barrier'^  of  the  Absaroka  Eange. 
Jones  Creek,  just  east  of  the  northern  portion  of  the 
Yellowstone  Lake,  shows  where  the  party  entered  the  Park. 
From  the  Lake  the  expedition  passed  down  the  east  bank 
of  the  river  to  the  valley  of  Junction  Butte;  thence  west 
to  ^Mammoth  Hot  Springs ;  thence  back  over  the  usual  trail 
via  Tower  Creek,  Mt.  Washburn,  the  Grand  Canon  and 
Mud  Geyser,  to  the  Lower  Geyser  Basin;  thence  via  the 
Upper  Basin  to  the  west  shore  of  the  Yellowstone  Lake: 
thence  to  the  Upper  Yellowstone  Piiver;  thence  through 
Two-Ocean  Pass  and  Two-Gwo-Tee  Pass  to  the  valley  of 
Wind  Kiver.  The  chief  results  of  this  expedition,  in  the 
line  of  original  discovery,  were  the  passage  of  the  Absaroka 
Range,  the  verification  of  the  traditional  "Two-Ocean 
Water,''  between  Atlantic  and  Pacific  Creeks,  in  Two- 
Ocean  Pass,  and  the  discovery  of  the  extremely  easy  Pass 
(Two-Gwo-Tee*)  over  the  Continental  Divide,  between  the 
Snake  and  Wind  Rivers.  Prof.  Theodore  B.  Comstock 
accompanied  the  expedition  as  geologist.  A  valuable 
report  of  the  reconnaissance  appeared  in  1875. 

In  1875,  Captain  William  Ludlow,  of  the  Corps  of  Engi- 


♦  So  named  by  Captain  Jones  for  one  of  his  Indian  guides. 


LATER  EXPLORATIONS.  103 

neers,  made  a  reconnaissance  from  Carroll,  Montana,  on 
the  Missouri  River,  to  the  Yellowstone  Park  and  return. 
In  the  Park  he  followed  the  previously  traveled  routes 
and  developed  little  in  the  line  of  original  discovery.  Tie 
succeeded,  however,  in  obtaining  a  very  accurate  measure- 
ment of  the  height  of  the  Yellowstone  Falls,  and  his  re- 
port forms  one  of  the  ablest  brief  descriptions  of  the  Paik 
extanlt.  Among  his  civil  assistants  was  George  Bird  Grin- 
nell,  later  widely  known  as  the  editor  of  Forest  and  Stream, 
and  as  one  of  the  most  steadfast  and  watchful  guardians 
the  Park  has  ever  had. 

During  the  same  season  a  distinguished  party,  consist- 
ing of  the  Secretary  of  War,  Gen.  W.  W.  Belknap,  and 
several  prominent  officers  and  civilians,  with  Lieutenant 
G.  C.  Doane,  of  National  Park  fame,  as  guide,  made  a 
complete  tour  of  the  Park.  An  exceedingly  interesting 
narrative  of  the  trip  was  written  by  Gen.  W.  E.  Strong, 
who  was  a  member  of  the  party. 

In  1877,  Gen.  W.  T.  Sherman  and  staff  made  a  tour  of 
the  Park.  His  letters  on  the  subject  to  the  Secretary  of 
AVar,  and  the  official  report  prepared  by  Gen.  0.  M.  Poe 
of  his  staff,  form  a  valuable  contribution  to  the  literature 
of  the  Park. 

In  the  same  year  Gen.  0.  0.  Howard  crossed  the  reser- 
vation in  pursuit  of  the  Nez  Perce  Indians. 

In  1880,  the  Hon.  Carl  Schurz,  Secretary  of  the  Inte- 
rior, accompanied  by  Gen.  Crook  with  a  large  number  of 
officers  and  soldiers,  and  an  immense  pack  train,  entered 
the  Park  from  the  valley  of  Henry  Fork  and  made  an  ex- 
tended tour. 

In  1881,  Captain  W.  S.  Stanton,  of  the  Corps  of  Engi- 
neers, made  a  reconnaissance  through  the  Park,  entering 
by  the  way  of  Soda  Butte  Creek^  and  passing  out  by  the 


104  THE    YELLOWSTONE    NATIONAL    PARK. 

Madison  Valley.  The  most  important  result  of  his  work 
in  the  Park  was  a  more  accurate  table  of  distances  over 
some  of  the  routes  than  had  previously  been  in  use. 

In  July  and  August  of  this  year,  the  Hon.  John  W. 
Hojt,  Governor  of  Wyoming,  with  a  military  escort  under 
command  of  Major  Julius  W.  Mason,  U.  S.  A.,  made  an 
extended  reconnaissance  to  discover  a  practicable  wagon 
route  to  the  Yellowstone  Park  from  the  southeast. 
He  entered  the  Park  by  way  of  the  Upper  Yellow- 
stone, passed  through  it  by  way  of  Yellowstone  and 
Shoshone  Lakes,  the  Firehole  Geyser  Basins,  the  Grand 
Canon,  the  lower  end  of  Yellowstone  Lake,  and  left  it 
along  the  route  by  which  Captain  Jones  had  entered  in 
1873. 

In  the  years  1881  and  1882,  General  Sheridan,  with 
parties  of  considerable  size,  twice  crossed  the  Park  and 
visited  its  most  important  points.  His  expeditions  were 
of  great  value  to  the  Park  from  the  forcible  warning  which 
he  gave  to  the  public  concerning  the  demoralized  condition 
of  its  civil  administration. 

To  these  various  expeditions  must  be  added  the  exten- 
Bive,  though  desultory,  explorations  of  P.  W.  Norris  dur- 
ing the  five  years  that  he  was  Superintendent  of  the  Park. 

It  has  thus  come  about  that  Yellowstone  National  Park, 
though  remote,  inaccessible,  and  of  great  extent,  is  about 
the  most  thoroughly  explored  section  of  the  United  States. 
Within  the  territory  bounded  by  the  44th  and  45th  paral- 
lels of  latitude,  and  the  110th  and  111th  meridians  of  lon- 
gitude, there  are  nearly  four  hundred  geographical  names. 
The  names  of  hot  springs  and  geysers  would  probably 
double  the  number.  To  appreciate  this  fact,  it  must  be 
remembered  that  there  are  no  settlements  in  the  Park, 
and  that  counties,  townships,  cities,  and  villages,  which 


LATER  EXPLORATIONS.  105 

on  ordinary  maps  form  so  large  a  proportion  of  the  names, 
are  here  entirely  absent.  That  region  has  indeed  been  a 
paradise  for  the  explorer,  the  topographer,  and  the  geolo- 
gist; and  its  splendid  opportunities  have  not  gone  unim- 
proved. 

The  most  elaborate  expedition  that  ever  passed  through 
this  region  took  place  in  August,  1883.*  It  included 
among  its  members  the  President  of  the  United  States, 
the  Secretary  of  War,  the  Lieutenant-General  of  the 
Army,  a- United  States  Senator,  and  several  other  distin- 
guished officers  and  civilians.  The  interesting  part  of  the 
journey  lay  between  Fort  Washakie,  Wyoming,  and  the 
Northern  Pacific  Eailroad  at  Cinnabar,  Montana.  The 
party  traveled  entirely  on  horseback,  accompanied  by  one 
of  the  most  complete  pack  trains  ever  organized  in  this  or 
any  other  country,  and  escorted  by  a  full  troop  of  cavalry. 
Couriers  were  stationed  every  twenty  miles  with  fresh 
relays,  and  by  this  means,  communication  was  daily  had 
with  the  outside  world.  The  whole  distance  traveled  was 
350  miles,  through  some  of  the  wildest,  most  rugged,  and 
least  settled  portions  of  the  west.  Xo  accident  or  draw- 
back occurred  to  mar  the  pleasure  of  the  expedition.    The 


•  The  year  1883  seems  to  have  been  the  banner  year  for  dis- 
tinguished visitors  to  the  Park.  The  list  of  arrivals  for  that 
year  includes  the  President  of  the  United  States  and  a  mem- 
ber of  his  cabinet;  the  Chief- Justice  and  an  Associate  Justice 
of  the  United  States  Supreme  Court;  the  General,  Lieutenant- 
General,  and  a  large  number  of  other  distinguished  officers  of 
the  army;  six  United  States  Senators;  one  Territorial  Gov- 
ernor; a  prominent  railroad  president;  the  Ministers  from 
Great  Britain  and  Germany;  the  President  of  the  Admiralty 
Division  of  the  High  Court  of  Justice,  England;  three  mem- 
bers of  Parliament;  and  a  considerable  number  of  other  emi- 
nent personages,  both  from  this  country  and  abroad. 


106  THE    YELLOWSTONE    NATIONAL    PARK. 

great  pastime  en  route  was  trout  fishing,  in  which  the 
President  and  Senator  Vest  were  acknowledged  leaders. 
The  phenomenal  "catches''  of  these  distinguished  sports- 
men might  pass  into  history  as  typical  "fish  stories/'  were 
they  not  vouched  for  by  the  sober  record  of  official  dis- 
patches, and  the  unerring  evidence  of  photographer 
Haynes'  camera.  The  elaborate  equipment  of  this  expedi- 
tion, the  eminent  character  of  its  personnel,  and  the  evident 
responsibility  resting  upon  those  who  conducted  it,  at- 
tracted a  great  deal  of  attention  at  the  time,  and  gave 
it  a  prominent  place  in  the  annals  of  Western  Wyoming. 
Twenty  years  after  the  visit  of  President  Arthur  occurred 
the  second  visit  to  the  Park  of  a  President  of  the  United 
States  during  his  term  of  office.  Theodore  Eoosevelt  ar- 
rived in  the  Park  on  the  8th  of  April,  accompanied  by 
John  Burroughs,  and  remained  on  the  Eeserv^ation  for  six- 
teen days.  He  visited  the  country  around  Yancey's,  spend- 
ing a  week  in  camp  there  and  travelling  on  horseback.  This 
portion  of  his  trip  gave  him  an  excellent  opportunity  to 
study  the  question  of  game  preservation,  in  which  he  was 
deeply  interested.  He  next  visited  the  Firehole  Geyser 
basins  and  the  Grand  Caiion  of  the  Yellowstone,  travelling 
all  the  way  by  sleigh.  The  venerable  naturalist,  his  travel- 
ling companion,  accompanied  him  on  all  his  journeys, 
although  he  had  not  previously  been  on  horseback  in  over 
forty  years.  On  the  day  of  leaving  the  Park,  April  24th, 
the  President  assisted  in  laying  the  comer  stone  of  the  now 
entrance  gate  at  Gardiner.  After  the  ceremonies,  which 
were  conducted  under  Masonic  auspices,  he  delivered  an 
address  on  the  subject  of  the  Park  to  an  assemblage  of 
about  tliree  thousand  people  who  had  gathered  from  all  the 
surrounding  country. 


CHAPTER  XIII. 

ADMINISTRATIVE  HISTORY  OF  THE  PARK. 

The  Act  of  Dedication  of  the  Yellowstone  National 
Park  defines  in  clear  terms  the  purposes  for  which  it  was 
created.    These  are: 

(1)  The  preservation  of  its  natural  curiosities,  its  for- 
ests, and  its  game. 

(2)  The  reservation  of  its  territory  from  private  occu- 
pancy, so  that  it  may  remain  in  unrestricted  freedom  "for 
the  benefit  and  enjo3'ment  of  the  people." 

(3)  The  granting  of  such  leases  and  other  privileges  as 
may  be  necessary  for  the  comfort  and  convenience  of  vis- 
itors. 

The  Act  contained  no  code  of  laws  for  the  Park,  defin- 
ing offenses  and  providing  for  their  punishment,  nor  any 
legal  machinery  for  enforcing  such  regulations  as  the  Sec- 
retary of  the  Interior  might  establish.  This  condition 
prevailed  for  upward  of  twenty-two  years,  and  during  its 
continuance  there  were  experienced  the  evils  of  a  license 
which  at  times  was  wholly  unchecked,  and  which  it  was 
never  possible  to  bring  under  thorough  control. 

This  long-standing  misfortune  was  aggravated  by  an- 
other scarcely  less  serious — the  failure  of  Congress  for 
several  years  to  appropriate  funds  for  the  protection  and 
improvement  of  the  Park.  For  this  failure,  however,  no 
one  can  justly  be  held  faultily  responsible.  The  promoters 
of  the  Park  project  had  based  extravagant  expectations 
upon  the  results  to  be  derived  from  leases.  They  believed 
that  the  revenue  from  this  source  would  amply  cover  the 
^expense  of  opening  the  necessary  highways  and  providing 


108  THE    YELLOWSTONE    NATIONAL    PARK. 

a  proper  police  force.  They  did  nott  make  due  allowance 
for  the  fact  that  there  was  at  that  time  no  railroad  within 
500  miles;  that  the  new  reservation  was  an  almost  impass- 
able wilderness,  and  that  the  construction  of  roads  and 
bridges  must  necessarily  precede  any  profitable  tourist 
business.  Neither  do  they  seem  to  have  realized  that  these 
leases  could  not,  in  the  nature  of  things,  yield  a  revenue 
commensurate  withe  the  work  of  opening  up  so  wild  and 
extensive  a  country.  The  argument  of  self-support  was  a 
mistaken  one.  It  did  an  important  work,  however,  for  it 
is  doubtful  if  Congress  would  have  created  this  reserva- 
tion had  it  not  believed  that  no  additional  public  burden 
was  to  be  incurred  thereby. 

Left  thus  without  laws  for  its  government  and  funds 
for  its  improvement  or  protection,  the  early  administra- 
tion of  the  Park  was  necessarily  very  inefficient.  In  look- 
ing back  over  those  years  it  is  a  wonder  that  it  survived  at 
all  and  was  not  restored  to  the  public  domain. 

The  administration  of  the  Park  was  entrusted  by  the 
Secretary  of  the  Interior  to  a  Superintendent,  and  his  first 
choice  naturally  fell  upon  Mr.  Langford,  well  known  as  a 
member  of  the  famous  Washburn  Expedition  and  as  an 
ardent  friend  of  the  new  reservation.  But,  from  the  first, 
his  hands  were  completely  tied.  No  salary  was  ever  al- 
lowed him  for  his  services,  nor  any  funds  with  which  ro 
carry  out  his  duties.  He  was,  therefore,  powerless  to  ac- 
complish effective  work.  His  office,  which  he  held  for 
about  five  years,  was  a  source  of  great  annoyance 
to  him;  for  he  was  frequently,  and  most  unjusitly,  charged 
in  the  public  press  with  responsibility  for  a  condition  of 
things  for  which  he  was  in  no  sense  to  blame. 

In  1877,  there  appeared,  as  Mr.  Langford's  successor, 
one  of  the  unique  and  picturesque  characters  in  the  his- 


Mam.moth  Hot  Sprixcs  Teruaces. 


ADMINISTRATIVE  HISTORY  OF  THE  PARK.  109 

tory  of  the  Park,  Philetus  W.  Xorris,  of  Michigan.  He 
was  appointed  immediately  upon  the  advent  of  President 
Hayes'  administration,  and  held  office  for  nearly  five  years. 
Xorris  filled  with  varying  capacity  the  roles  of  explorer, 
path-finder,  poet,  and  historian  in  the  Park.  Naturally  a 
man  of  extraordinary  energy,  he  entered  upon  his  new 
charge  with  a  genuine  enthusiasm  and  an  unbounded  faith 
in  its  future  value  to  the  people.  He  was  fortunate  in 
receiving  from  Congress  substantial  means  for  carrying 
out  his  plans,  and  with  his  term  of  service  begins  the  real 
administrative  history  of  the  Park. 

His  work  covered  an  extensive  range,  and  left  its  mark, 
as  its  author  did  his  name,  in  every  quarter.  He  was  an 
untiring  explorer.  He  traveled  all  the  existing  trails  and 
penetrated  the  unknown  sections  in  every  direction.  He 
studied  the  history  and  antiquities  of  the  Park  and  the 
results  of  his  researches  possess  scientific  value.  He  built 
the  first  roads  in  the  Park,  opening  a  vast  extent  of  high- 
way, and  although  this  has  all  been  replaced  by  later  work, 
it  served  its  original  purpose  very  well.  He  wroite  and 
published  a  great  deal  about  the  Park  and  helped  revive 
public  interest  in  it  at  the  time  of  its  greatest  need. 

Norris  was  succeeded  in  February,  1882,  by  Patrick  A. 
Conger,  of  Iowa.  The  two  men  were  as  unlike  in  personal 
characteristics  and  views  of  official  duty  as  it  is  possible 
to  conceive.  Conger  possessed  none  of  the  love  of  his 
work,  none  of  the  faith  in  the  Park,  none  of  the  enthusi- 
asm, energy,  and  restless  activity  that  were  so  character- 
istic of  his  predecessor.  His  administration  was  weak  and 
inefficient  and  brought  the  Park  to  the  lowest  ebb  of  its 
fortunes.  Its  only  palliating  feature,  as  viewed  from  this 
distance,  is  the  fact  that  its  very  weakness  aroused  public 
sentiment  and  paved  the  way  to  reform  in  the  government 
of  the  Pa^k. 


110  THE    YELLOWSTONE    NATIONAL    PARK. 

As  if  the  unfortunate  condition  of  affairs  due  to  the 
lack  of  suitable  laws  for  the  reservation  were  not  enough, 
there  arose  in  the  early  part  of  Superintendent  Conger's 
administration  a  new  and  even  more  formidable  danger, 
under  the  euphemistic  title  of  the  Yellowstone  Park  Im- 
provement Company.  Previous  to  this  time,  there  had 
been  no  regular  leases  in  the  Park.  Several  informal  per- 
mits for  occupancy  had  been  granted,  and  a  small  number 
of  inferior  buildings  had  been  erected.  In  1880,  there 
were  nine  of  these  buildings,  nearly  all  of  'them  being 
plain  log-cabins,  with  earth  roofs^  of  the  common  frontier 
pattern.  Only  two,  the  headquarters  building  at  Mammoth 
Hot  Springs  and  Marshall's  Hotel  in  the  Lower  Geyser 
Basin,  rose  in  dignity  above  the  primitive  type.  N'o  one 
as  yet  thought  of  remaining  in  the  Park  during  the  winter 
season. 

But  it  finally  dawned  upon  certain  individuals  that  here 
was  a  rare  opportunity  to  exploit  the  government  for  their 
private  emolument  under  the  generous  guise  of  improving 
the  Park,  and  catering  to  the  comfort  of  the  tourist.  A 
company  was  formed,  and  a  valuable  ally  secured  in  the 
person  of  the  Assistant  Secretary  of  the  Interior,  who 
granted  a  lease  of  4,400  acres  in  tracts  of  about  a  square 
mile  each  aJt  all  the  principal  points  of  interest.  It  was 
urged  in  defense  of  this  sweeping  grant,  that  the  protec- 
tion which  had  failed  of  realization  by  every  other  method 
could  be  secured  in  this  way.  It  was  thought  that,  if  re- 
sponsible parties  could  be  given  exclusive  control  of  these 
natural  curiosities,  they  would,  from  motives  of  self-in- 
terest, if  from  no  other,  preserve  them.  But  such  a  mo- 
nopolistic privilege  was  clearly  opposed  to  the  spirit  of  the 
Act  of  Dedication.  Why  set  apart  this  region  for  the  free 
and  unrestricted  enjoyment  of  the  people,  if  the  Secre- 


abmixisthative  history  of  the  park.  Ill 

tary  of  the  Interior  could  give  to  private  parties  absolute 
control  of  all  its  most  important  localities?  Was  this  a 
proper  interpretation  of  "small  parcels  of  ground/'  as 
specified  in  the  act?  Tlie  danger  involved  in  this  action 
was  a  grave  one,  and  it  aroused  a  storm  of  protest  through- 
out the  country. 

Jt  was  about  tliis  time  also  that  there  began  to  appear 
those  various  railroad  and  segregation  projects  which  have 
ever  since  been  a  formidable  menace  to  the  continued  ex- 
istence of  the  Park. 

It  had  become  apparent  as  early  as  1882,  that  immediate 
and  radical  measures  must  be  adopted  if  the  Park  was  to 
be  preserved  in  its  original  condition.  General  Sheridan, 
who  passed  through  that  region  in  1881,  1882,  and  1883, 
urgently  appealed  to  the  public  sentiment  of  the  country 
in  favor  of  some  definite  action.  The  Governor  of  Mon- 
tana made  an  earnest  appeal  to  Congress.  Other  influ- 
ential voices  united  in  the  same  cause,  and  already  it  was 
broadly  hinted  that  the  only  salvation  of  the  Park  lay 
in  turning  it  over  to  the  military.  The  whole  matter  was 
brought  prominently  before  the  next  Congress,  and  in 
March,  1883,  a  clause  in  the  Sundry  Civil  Bill  containing 
the  annual  appropriation  for  the  Park,  forbade  the  grant- 
ing of  leases  of  more  than  ten  acres  to  any  single  party, 
authorized  the  Secretary  of  the  Interior  to  call  upon  the 
Secretary  of  War  for  troops  to  patrol  the  Park,  and  pro- 
vided for  the  employment  of  ten  assistant  superintend- 
ents who  were  to  constitute  a  police  force.  In  this  way 
the  bold  scheme  of  the  Improvement  Company  was  frus- 
trated, and  the  foundation  laid  for  the  present  adminis- 
trative system.  The  Secretary  of  the  Interior,  however, 
seems  not  to  have  wished  to  avail  himself  of  military 
assistance,  and  it  was  several  years  before  this  provision 
of  the  law  was  put  into  operation. 


112  TIUE  YELLOWSTOXE  NATIONAL  PARK. 

It  was  in  this  same  year  that  the  killing  of  birds  and 
animals  in  the  Park,  and  the  taking  of  fish  by  any  other 
method  than  by  hook  and  line,  were  absolutely  prohib- 
ited. Previously,  hunting  had  been  allowed  so  far  as  was 
necessary  to  supply  the  wants  of  camping  parties— a  con- 
cession that  practically  operated  as  an  unrestricted  license. 

The  failure  of  Congress  to  enact  needed  legislation  at 
length  became  so  nearly  chronic  that  relief  was  sought 
in  another  direction.  Xearly  all  the  territory  of  the  Park, 
and  all  its  great  attractions,  were  within  the  limits  of  the 
Territory  of  Wyoming.  Might  it  not  be  within  the  pro- 
vince of  territorial  legislation  to  furnish '  the  necessary 
legal  protection?  The  subject  was  agitated,  and  in  the 
winter  of  1884,  an  act  was  passed,  designed  "to  protect 
and  preserve  the  timber,  game,  fish,  and  natural  curiosi- 
ties of  the  Park,"  and  for  other  purposes.  The  act  was 
very  stringent  in  its  provisions,  but  totally  failed  of  its 
purpose.  The  attempt  at  territorial  control  of  a  national 
institution  was  in  itself  a  blunder.  Then,  the  officials 
chosen  to  execute  the  law  were  poorly  qualified  for  their 
work  and  displayed  a  lamentable  want  of  tact  and  moder- 
ation. Some  of  their  arrests  were  unjust  and  t3Tannieal 
in  the  extreme.  They  formed  an  alliance  with  the  assistant 
superintendents,  federal  officials  (known  in  local  parlance 
as  ^"'rabbit  catchers"),  by  which  the  latter  shared,  as 
informers,  the  fines  levied  by  themselves.  A  law  which 
made  abuses  like  this  possible  quickly  ran  its  course,  and 
was  repealed  March  10,  1886. 

Although  so  unwise  a  measure  could  not  stand,  the  first 
effect  of  its  repeal  was  to  advertise  the  fact  that  the  Park 
was  practically  without  legal  protection.  Matters  became 
even  worse  than  before.  The  common  verdict,  as  gathered 
from  official  reports  and  other  sources^  is  that  the  body  of 


ADMINISTRATIVE  HISTORY  OF  THE  PARK.  113 

police,  styled  assistant  superintendents,  were  not  only 
inetlicient,  but  positively  corrupt.  They  were,  for  the  most 
part,  creatures  of  political  favoritism,  and  were  totally 
unused  to  the  service  required  of  them.  Commissioned  as 
guardians  of  the  rarest  natural  wonders  on  the  globe,  they 
not  infrequently  made  merchandise  of  the  treasures  which 
they  were  appointed  to  preserve.  Under  their  surveillance, 
vandalism  was  practically  unchecked,  and  the  slaughter  of 
game  was  carried  on  for  private  profit  almost  in  sight  of 
the  superintendents'  quarters. 

The  difficulties  that  beset  the  administration  of  Superin- 
tendent Conger  were  too  great  for  him  to  grapple  with 
successfully,  and  he  resigned,  July  28,  1884.  In  his 
place  was  appointed,  August  4,  1884,  Robert  E.  Carpenter, 
of  Iowa.  Mr.  Carpenter's  views  of  the  requirements  of  his 
office  were  clear  and  positive;  and  he  promptly  set  about 
to  carry  them  into  execution.  He  went  upon  the  theory 
that  the  Park  was  created  as  an  instrument  of  profit  to 
those  who  were  shrewd  enough  to  grasp  the  opportunity. 
Its  protection  and  improvement  were  matters  of  secondary 
consideration.  Instead  of  remaining  at  his  post  during  the 
winter  season,  he  went  to  Washington,  and  there,  in  con- 
cert with  a  member  of  the  Improvement  Company,  very 
nearly  succeeded  in  carrying  a  measure  through  Congress 
by  which  important  tracts  upon  the  Eeservation  were  to 
be  thrown  open  to  private  occupancy.  So  confident  of 
success  were  these  conspirators  that  they  even  located 
claims  upon  the  tracts  in  question,  and  their  names  ap- 
peared on  claim  notices  posted  to  designate  the  localities. 
The  measure  failed  of  passage,  but  the  scandal  of  Superin- 
tendent Carpenter's  conduct  led  to  his  prompt  removal 
from  office. 

On  the  day  of  his  removal.  May  29,  1885,  Colonel  David 
(5*) 


114  THE    YELLOWSTONE    NATIONAL    PARK. 

W.  Wear,  of  Missouri,  was  appointed  to  the  vacancy. 
Colonel  Wear  appears  to  have  been  well  qualified  for  the 
place.  He  set  out  to  reform  the  administration  of  the 
Park,  and  his  intelligent  and  vigorous  measures  gave  high 
encouragement  to  those  who  had  been  familiar  with  the 
previous  condition  of  affairs.  But,  as  often  happens,  he 
was  made  to  suffer  for  the  sins  of  his  predecessors.  The 
bad  repute  into  which  the  government  of  the  Park  had 
fallen  was  not  easily  removed,  and  Congress  finally  declined 
to  appropriate  money  for  its  continuance.  The  Secretary 
of  the  Interior  was  thus  compelled  to  call  upon  the  Sec- 
retary of  War  for  assistance.  The  regime  of  civilian 
superintendents  passed  away,  and  that  of  the  military 
superintendents  began.  The  change  was  strenuously 
opposed  by  the  Secretary  of  the  Interior  and  by  all  who 
held  or  hoped  to  hold  places  under  the  old  order;  but  the 
sequel  quickly  proved  the  wisdom  of  Congress. 

August  20,  1886,  marks  the  turning  point  in  the  admin- 
istrative history  of  the  Park.  Upon  that  day  Captain 
Moses  Harris,  First  United  States  Cavalry,  relieved  the 
civilian  Superintendent  of  his  duties,  and  soldiers  sup- 
planted the  so-called  assistant  superintendents  as  Park 
police.  Henceforth  an  entirely  new  order  was  to  obtain. 
It  was  to  be  seen  how  much  could  be  accomplished,  even 
in  the  absence  of  laws,  toward  a  vigorous  an4  healthful 
administration.  Trespassers  upon  the  Reservation  were 
promptly  removed.  The  regulations  were  revised  and 
extended,  printed  upon  cloth,  and  posted  in  all  parts  of  the 
Park ;  and  their  violation  was  visited  with  summary  pun- 
ishment to  the  full  extent  of  the  Superintendent's 
authority.  Abuses  of  leasehold  rights  were  searchingly 
inquired  into  and  reported  to  the  Department.  As  soon  as 
this  show  of  real  authority  was  made  manifest,  and  it 


ADMINlSTRATiyE  HISTORY  OF  THE  PARK.  115 

became  apparent  that  here  was  a  man  who  meant  what  he 
said,  a  great  part  of  the  difliculty  was  over.  Nothing  in 
fact  conduces  so  much  to  the  infraction  of  law  as  a  bohef 
in  the  incompetency  or  insincerity  of  those  delegated  to 
enforce  it,  and  the  removal  of  this  cause  was  a  long  step 
in  the  right  direction. 

The  system  thus  inaugurated  still  continues  with  every 
prospect  of  permanency,  although  Congress  has  never  taken 
the  necessary  steps  to  make  it  permanent.  The  military 
commander  is  still  styled  the  Acting  Superintendent.  But 
it  is  not  probable  tliat  public  opinion  will  ever  sanction  a 
return  to  the  old  order.  The  administrative  machinery 
has  completely  adjusted  itself  to  the  present  system.  A 
garrison  of  sufficient  size  to  accommodate  a  squadron  of 
cavalry  has  been  established  at  Mammoth  Hot  Spring's 
and  numerous  permanent  station  houses  have  been  built 
throughout  the  Park  for  the  use  of  small  detachments  of 
troops  in  patrolling  the  Reservation.  The  system  gives 
general  satisfaction  and  is  not  likely  to  be  disturbed. 

The  new  Hotel  Company  had  a  meteoric  career,  prom- 
ising great  things,  but  accomplishing  no  permanent  im- 
provement except  the  partial  construction  of  a  pretentious 
but  ill-conceived  structure,  which  has  become  widely  known 
as  the  Mammoth  Hot  Springs  Hotel.  The  company's  for- 
tunes quickly  ^collapsed,  and  the  opening  of  the  tourist 
season  of  1885  found  the  great  building  in  the  possession 
of  unpaid  workmen,  who  held  it  under  a  kind  of  military 
guard  until  their  wages  should  be  paid. 

The  jSTorthern  Pacific  Railway  Company  then  came  to 
the  rescue,  bought  out  the  Improvement  Company  and  cer- 
tain lesser  concerns,  and  organized  a  new  company  called 
the  Yellowstone  Park  Association.  This  company  com- 
pleted the  Mammoth  Hot  Springs  Hotel,  and  has  siD^e 


116  THE    YELLOWSTONE    NATIONAL    PARK. 

built  hotels  at  the  following  points:  Norris  Geyser  Basin, 
three  buildings,  two  of  which  have  been  destroyed  by  fire ; 
Lower  Geyser  Basin,  the  Fountain  Hotel;  Upper  Geyser 
Basin,  two  buildings,  one  of  which  has  been  destroyed  by 
fire;  and  one  hotel  each  at  the  Yellowstone  Lake  and  the 
Grand  Canon. 

At  first  the  carrying  of  tourists  through  the  Park  was 
an  adjunct  of  the  hotel  business^  but  in  1891  the  Interior 
Department  granted  this  privilege  to  a  new  company  called 
the  Yellowstone  Park  Transportation  Company,  and  the 
two  companies  operated  thereafter  for  many  years  as  inde- 
pendent concerns.  The  transportation  system  of  the  Park, 
which  has  now  developed  into  the  best  equipped  organiza- 
tion of  its  kind  in  the  world,  was,  in  its  essential  features, 
the  creation  of  Silas  S.  Huntley,  who  gave  it  his  undivided 
attention  from  1892  until  1901,  the  date  of  his  death.  By 
virtue  of  his  wide  acquaintance  throughout  the  country, 
his  intimate  knowledge  of  the  Park,  and  his  genuine  inter- 
est in  its  welfare,  he  practically  controlled  its  administra- 
tion for  many  years,  and  died  lamented  as  one  of  the  best 
friends  it  ever  had. 

In  1901,  the  Northern  Pacific  sold  the  hotel  property  to 
the  owners  of  the  Transportation  Company,  and  the  two 
business  w^ere  operated  during  the  next  two  years  under 
the  same  management.  In  the  fall  of  1902  the  Railway 
Company  took  back  its  hotel  property  and  bought  an 
interest  in  the  Transportation  Company,  so  that  it  now 
virtually  controls  the  tourist  business  of  the  Park. 

About  1890  a  privilege  was  granted  to  W.  W.  Wylie, 
of  Bozeman,  Montana,  to  transport  tourists  through  the 
Park  and  subsist  them  in  ^^permanent  camps."  This  privi- 
lege was  renewed  year  after  year,  and  the  management  oi 
the  business  was  carried  on  under  the  name  of  the  Wylie 


ADMINISTRATIVE  HISTORY  OF  THE  PARK.  IIY 

Camping  Company.  Mr.  Wylie  succeeded  in  building  up 
a  lucrative  trade.  His  capable  management,  personal 
interest  in  the  pleasure  of  tourists,  and  the  cheaper  rates 
and* longer  visit  that  he  gave  them  brought  to  his  system 
a  wide  popularity. 

In  1899,  a  new  company  was  formed  to  transport  tour- 
ists from  the  Montana  branch  of  the  Oregon  Short  Line 
Railroad  (Union  Pacific)  into  the  Park  by  the  western 
entrance.  It  was  called  the  Monida  and  Yellowstone 
Stage  Company,  and  has  been  built  up  from  a  small  begin- 
ning to  a  promising  business.  It  is  organized  and 
controlled  by  Mr.  F.  J.  Haynes,  the  licensed  photographer 
of  the  Park,  whose  views  of  the  Park  scenery  are  well 
known  the  world  over.  The  plant  of  this  company  is  simi- 
lar to  that  of  the  Yellowstone  Park  Transportation 
Company,  and  its  patrons  are  cared  for  at  the  regular 
hotels. 

About  the  year  1890,  the  privilege  was  granted  of  trans- 
porting tourists  by  boat  over  the  Yellowstone  Lake  between 
two  points  on  its  shores  touched  by  the  road  system.  The 
beneficiary  of  this  privilege,  which  has  been  of  an  exclusive 
or  monopolistic  character,  is  Mr.  E.  C.  Waters,  President 
and  principal  owner  of  the  Yellowstone  Lake  Boat  Com- 
pany. 

In  the  early  part  of  Superintendent  Conger's  adminis- 
tration the  government  took  up  in  earnest  the  question  of 
road  construction  in  the  Park.  Norris  had  opened  up  a 
great  extent  of  roadway,  but  it  was  the  crudest  possible 
work,  and  the  money  thus  spent  left  no  permanent  result. 
To  give  this  matter  systematic  direction  an  engineer  officer 
of  the  Army  was  detailed,  in  1883,  to  take  charge  of  the 
work.  This  officer  was  Captain  D.  C.  Kingman,  of  the 
Corps  of  Engineers,  whose  term  of  duty  ran  through  three 


118  THE  YELLOWSTONE  NATIONAL  PARK. 

years  and  resulted  in  laying  the  foundation  of  the  present 
road  system  of  the  Park.  With  the  exception  of  about  four 
years  the  work  has  remained  under  the  Engineer  Depart- 
ment, and  was  definitely  placed  there  by  Act  of  Congress  of 
June  6,  1900. 

The  year  1894  was  an  important  landmark  in  the  admin- 
istrative history  of  the  Park.  On  May  4,  of  that  year,  the 
desired  code  of  laws  was  enacted,  and  oh  August  3,  of  the 
same  year,  an  act  was  passed  further  regula.ting  the  ques- 
tion of  leases  and  privileges.  The  circumstances  attending 
the  passage  of  the  National  Park  Protective  Act  are 
worthy  of  record,  because  it  was  evidently  their  sensational 
character  that  aroused  Congress  to  action. 

The  preservation  of  the  Park  buffalo  herd  has  always 
been  a  matter  of  deep  public  interest.  There  is  a  well-nigh 
universal  desire  that  this  noble  animal,  which  has  played 
such  a  part  in  the  frontier  history  of  our  country^  shall 
survive  in  its  native  freedom  within  the  territory  set  apart 
as  a  national  park  and  game  preserve.  Accordingly  the 
people  have  followed  with  extreme  jealousy  the  welfare  of 
this  herd,  and  have  been  impatient  at  any  evidence  of 
neglect  on  the  part  of  Congress  or  the  Department  in 
protecting  it. 

In  the  month  of  March.  1894,  a  notorious  poacher  was 
caught  by  a  government  scout  in  the  act  of  killing  buffalo 
in  their  winter  range  in  the  Pelican  Valley.  Quite  a 
number  of  slain  buffalo  were  found — enough  to  show  that, 
with  a  little  more  time,  he  would  have  exterminated  the 
herd  altogether.  The  arrest  of  this  man  was  a  bold  and 
thrilling  exploit,  and  was  executed  with  brilliant  success. 
There  was  present  in  the  Park  at  the  time  a  representative 
of  Forest  and  Stream,  a  journal  which  has  always  been  one 
of  the  Park's  most  enthusiastic  guardians,  and  through  this 


ADMINISTRATIVE  HISTORY  OF  THE  PARK.  119 

agency  the  news  was  promptly  and  effectively  brought  to 
the  attention  of  Congress.  The  imminent  danger  of  total 
annihilation  of  the  herd  produced  the  desired  effect,  and 
within  a  month  the  long-sought  legislation  had  been 
effected. 

A  formidable  danger  which  for  twenty  years  has  threat- 
ened the  integrity  of  the  Park,  is  the  effort  to  get  railroads 
across  its  territor)\  The  policy  of  the  government  in  regard 
to  this  Eeservation  is  to  maintain  it  as  nearly  as  possible  in 
its  natural  condition,  unchanged  by  the  hand  of  man.  The 
sentiment  of  the  country  is  almost  a  unit  in  favor  of  this 
policy.  Every  j^ear  demonstrates  its  wisdom  as  the  people 
come  to  appreciate  more  and  more  the  rare  foresight  of 
the  government  in  reserving  one  spot  in  the  national 
domain  where  original  conditions  may  remain  undisturbed. 
It  is  the  desire  to  restrict  roads  to  the  smallest  extent  con- 
sistent with  convenient  access  to  the  principal  objects  of 
interest;  to  restrict  buildings  to  the  minimum  number  re- 
quired for  the  convenience  of  visitors;  and  particularly  to 
keep  out  such  modern  innovations  as  railroads,  and  even 
electric  lines. 

It  is  not  necessary  to  rehearse  here  the  arguments  in 
favor  of  this  policy,  for  they  are  well  understood.  They 
may  all  be  summed  up  in  the  general  fact  that  the  moment 
railroads  are  built  through  the  Park  it  loses  forever  that 
original  condition  which  is  one  of  its  greatest  charms. 
They  would  undoubtedly  work  serious  damage  to  the  game, 
and  to  the  forests,  to  say  nothing  of  their  effect  on  the 
natural  beauty  of  this  region.  Electric  lines  would  be  less 
objectionable  than  steam  roads,  but  the  same  fundamental 
argument  applies  to  them  as  well.  The  people  prefer  not 
to  find  these  things  in  this  Eeservation ;  they  prefer  to  travel 
behind  horses,  even  if  the  discomforts  are  greater,  and  they 


120  THE    YELLOWSTONE    NATIONAL    PARK. 

would  rather  have  the  government  remove  these  discom- 
forts by  creating  a  perfect  system  of  roads  than  ever  grant 
the  privilege  of  building  a  railway  line  in  the  Park.  This 
question  was  once  put  to  a  vote  of  the  tourists,  and  their 
voice  was  ninety-five  per  cent,  in  favor  of  the  absolute 
exclusion  of  every  form  of  railroad. 

There  is  now  but  little  real  need  of  further  legislation  by 
Congress  in  the  interests  of  the  Park.  The  necessary 
provision  should  of  course  be  made  for  the  maintenance 
of  adequate  protection,  and  means  should  be  provided  to 
perfect  the  system  of  roads.  Happily  these  are  duties 
involving  no  onerous  burden.  They  require  no  continuing 
outlay  to  'beautify  and  adorn,''  for  Nature  has  attended  to 
these  matters  herself.  The  further  policy  of  the  govern- 
ment in  regard  to  the  Park  should  be  strictly  negative,  with 
the  sole  object  of  preserving  it  unimpaired,  as  its  founders 
intended,  for  the  'T^enefit  and  enjoyment"  of  succeeding 
generations. 


CHAPTER  XIV. 

GEOGRAPHICAL  NAMES  IN  THE  YELLOWSTONE  PARK. 

In  common  experience,  the  importance  of  geographical 
names  lies  in  their  use  as  a  means  of  identification.  To 
describe  an  object  there  must  be  a  name^  and  for  this 
purpose  one  name  is  as  good  as  another.  But  if  the  reason 
be  sought  why  a  particular  name  happened  to  be  selected, 
it  will  generally  be  found  to  arise,  not  from  this  practical 
necessity,  but  from  some  primary  fact  or  tradition,  or 
from  some  distinguished  character,  in  the  annals  of  the 
community  where  it  occurs.  In  its  mountains  and  valleys, 
its  lakes  and  streams,  and  in  its  civil  divisions,  the  cradle 
history  of  a  country  may  always  be  found  recorded. 

In  newly-discovered  countries,  the  naming  of  geograph- 
ical features  is  the  dearest  prerogative  of  the  explorer,  as 
it  is  also  the  one  most  liable  to  abuse  from  personal  vanity 
or  egotism.  The  desire  to  attach  his  name,  or  those  of  his 
personal  friends,  to  the  prominent  landmarks  of  the  globe, 
where  the  eye  of  posterity  may  never  escape  them,  is  a 
weakness  from  which  no  discoverer  has  yet  shown  himself 
free. 

In  a  region  like  the  Yellowstone  National  Park,  destined 
'for  all  time  to  be  a  resort  for  the  lovers  of  science  and 
pleasure,  this  temptation  was  quite  irresistible;  so  much 
so,  that,  when  the  expeditions  of  1870  and  1871  left  the 
field,  they  left  little  worth  naming  behind  them.  And  yet 
the  honor  thus  gained  has  not,  we  venture  to  say,  been  all 
that  its  votaries  desired.  Small  is  the  number  of  tourists 
who  stop  to  inquire  for  whom  Mary  Lake,  DeLacy  Creek, 
(6) 


122  THE  YELLOWSTONE  NATIONAL  PARK. 

or  Stevenson  Island  was  named.  Fewer  still  are  aware  that 
Mt.  Everts  was  not  christened  in  honor  of  the  distin- 
guished American  statesman  of  similar  name,  but  in  com- 
memoration of  one  of  the  most  thrilling  individual  experi- 
ences in  American  histor3\  So  with  all  these  personal 
names.  The  lively  satisfaction  with  which  they  were  given 
finds  no  counterpart  in  the  languid  indifference  with  which 
the  modem  visitor  mechanically  repeats  them. 

Inasmuch  as  it  fell  to  the  lot  of  the  United  States  Geo- 
logical Survey*  to  originate  a  great  many  of  the  names  in 
our  western  geography,  it  is  interesting  to  know  from 
official  sources  the  principles  which  governed  in  this  impor- 
tant work.    Writing  upon  this  point,  Dr.  Hayden  says:f 

"In  attaching  names  to  the  manj  mountain  peaks,  new 
streams,  and  other  geographical  localities,  the  discovery  of 
which  falls  to  the  pleasant  lot  of  the  explorer  in  the  un- 
trodden wilds  of  the  West,  I  have  followed  the  rigid  law  of 
priority,  and  given  the  one  by  which  they  have  been  gen- 
erally known  among  the  people  of  the  countr}%  whether 
whites  or  Indians:  but  if,  as  is  often  the  case,  no  suitable i 
descrip)tive  name  can  be  secured  from  the  surroundings,  a 
personal  one  may  then  be  attached,  and  the  names  of 

*  The  organization  now  known  as  the  United  States  Geolog- 
ical Survey  dates  from  1879,  when  it  superseded  the  various 
Independent  surveys  which  had  previously  been  made  under 
King,  Wheeler,  Powell  and  Hayden.  The  Hayden  Surveys, 
which  are  alone  here  considered  of  those  prior  to  1879,  were 
known  as  the  United  States  Geological  (Geological  and  Geo- 
graphical, in  one  instance)  Survey  of  the  Territories.  Al- 
though the  shorter  name,  United  States  Geological  Survey,  la 
In  all  cases  used  throughout  this  work,  it  refers,  since  1879,  to 
the  present  organization,  and  before  that  time  to  the  Hayden 
Surveys. 

f  Page  8,  Fifth  Annual  Report  of  Dr.  Hayden. 


GEOGRAPHICAL   NAMES   IN    YELLOWSTONE   PARK.       123 

eminent  men  who  have  identified  themselves  with  the  great 
cause,  either  in  the  fields  of  science  or  legislation,  naturally 
rise  first  in  the  mind.'^ 

In  the  more  recent  and  thorough  survey  of  the  Park  by 
the  United  States  Geological  Surv^ey,  it  became  necessary 
to  provide  names  for  those  subordinate  features  which,  in  a 
less  restricted  field,  the  early  explorers  had  thought  un- 
worthy of  notice.  Prof.  Arnold  Hague,  upon  whom  this 
work  has  principally  fallen,  thus  states  the  rule  which  he 
has  followed:* 

"In  consultation  with  Mr.  Henry  Gannett,  geologist  in 
charge  of  geography,  it  was  agreed  that  the  necessary  new 
names  to  designate  the  unnamed  mountains,  valleys,  and 
streams  should  be  mainly  selected  from  the  beasts,  birds, 
fishes,  trees,  flowers,  and  minerals  found  within  the  Park  or 
the  adjacent  country.^' 

The  christening  of  the  hot  springs  and  geysers  of  the 
Park  hav9  been  singularly  fortunate.  The  names  are  in  all 
cases  characteristic.  They  are  not  studied  efforts,  but  are 
simply  the  spontaneous  utterances  from  first  impressions 
by  those  who  had  never  seen,  and  had  heard  but  little  of, 
similar  phenomena.  It  is  doubtful  if  the  most  careful  study 
could  improve  them,  and  tourists  will  agree  with  General 
Poe,  who  referred  as  follows  to  this  subject  when  he  visited 
the  Park  in  1877  :t 

''The  region  of  these  geysers  has  been  rightly  named  Fire 
Hole,  and  one  almost  wonders  that  in  this  country,  where 
the  tendency  is  to  name  natural  objects  after  men  who  have 
a  temporary  prominence,  this  interesting    place    and  its 


♦  Page  152,  Part  I,  Annual  Report  United  States  Geological 
Survey  for  year  ending  June  30,  1887. 

t  Page  79,  "Inspection  made  in  the  Summer  of  1877,"  etc 


124  THE    YELLOWSTONE    NATIONAL    PARK. 

assemblage  of  wonders  should  have  so  completely  escaped, 
and  in  general  and  in  particular  received  names  so  very 
appropriate." 

In  the  race  for  the  geographical  honors  of  the  Park,  the 
prize  fell  neither  to  the  United  States  Geological  Survey 
nor  even  to  Colonel  Xorris,  though  each  was  a  close  com- 
petitor. It  was  w^on  by  that  mythical  potentate  of  whose 
sulphurous  empire  this  region  is  thought  by  some  to  be 
simply  an  outlying  province.  Starting  with  'T'olter's 
Hell,"  the  list  grew  until  it  contained  "Hell  Eoaring 
Creek,"  "Hell  Broth  Springs,"  "HelFs  Half  Acre," 
"Sataoi's  Arbor,"  and  the  Devil's  "Den,"  "Workshop," 
"Kitchen,"  "Stairway,"  "Slide,"  "Caldron,"  "Punch 
Bowl,"  "Frying  Pan,"  "Well,"  "Elbow,"  "Thumb,"  "Ink- 
stand," etc.,  etc.  It  is  some  satisfaction  to  know  that  this 
rude  and  fiery  nomenclature  is  gradually  falling  into 
disuse. 

In  a  measure  from  sympathy  with  the  purpose  of  the 
early  name-givers,  and  to  help  those  who  take  an  interest 
in  such  matters  to  know  when,  by  whom,  and  why  the 
geographical  names  of  the  Park  were  given,  some  of  the 
more  important  will  be  explained  here.  The  great  propor- 
tion of  them  fall  naturally  under  two  heads — Personal  and 
Characteristic.  The  personal  names  may  in  turn  be  classi- 
fied into  names  given  for  the  pioneers  in  the  Park;  for  its 
explorers;  for  those  who  have  served  it  in  the  fields  of 
science  or  literature ;  and  for  those  whose  only  claim  is  that 
of  friendship  for  the  name-giver.  To  these  more  general 
classes  may  be  added  a  few  names  given  for  Indian  tTil)es, 
and  a  dozen  or  so  that  may  be  termed  eccentric  or 
fanciful. 

Baronett  Peak  is  named  for  C.  J.  Baronett,  "Yellowstone 
Jack,"  a  famous  scout  and  guide,  closely  connected  with 


GEOGRAPHICAL   NAMES   IN    YELLOWSTONE   PARK.       125 

the  history  of  the  National  Park,  and  builder  of  the  first 
bridge  across  the  Yellowstone  Eiver. 

Colter  Peak,  it  need  hardly  be  said,  is  for  John  Coltur. 
the  original  pioneer.  The  mountain  is  located  southeast  of 
the  Yellowstone  Lake. 

Yount  Peak  commemorates  an  old  trapper  and  guide  of 
that  region.  The  mountain  is  the  source  of  the  Yellow- 
stone Eiver. 

Conarit  Creek,  in  the  southwest  corner  of  the  Park,  is 
for  one  All  Conant,  who  was  in  that  country  as  early  as 
1805,  and  came  near  losing  his  life  in  this  stream. 

Gardiner  River,  next  to  Yellowstone,  is  the  most  familiar 
and  important  name  in  the  Park.  The  identity  of  the 
individual  for  whom  it  was  given  was  long  in  doubt,  and 
has  been  definitely  settled  only  within  the  past  three  years. 
His  name  was  Johnson  Gardner,  and  he  was  one  of  the 
Bo-called  free  trappers.  There  are  extant  articles  of  agree- 
ment between  him  and  Kenneth  McKenzie,  the  bourgeois 
in  cliarge  of  the  American  Fur  Company  post  at  Fort 
Union,  relating  to  equipment  and  furs  for  the  year  1832. 
There  are  also  a  statement  of  Gardner's  account  at  Fort 
Union  in  the  summer  of  1832  and  a  bill  of  lading  of  furs 
shipped  on  the  bull  boat  Antoine  from  the  '^Crossing  of  the 
Yellowstone,"  July  18th  of  the  same  year. 

This  was  undoubtedly  the  individual  for  whom  Gardiner 
River  was  named.  The  discrepancy  in  the  spelling  has  no 
significance.  The  first  certain  reference  to  both  stream  and 
name,  placing  the  identity  of  each  beyond  dispute,  occurs  in 
the  letter  from  Father  De  Smet,  quoted  elsewhere.  The 
name  is  thus  seen  to  be  the  oldest  in  the  Park  except  the 
name  Yellowstone. 

Bridyer  Lake  requires  no  explanation.  The  name  of  this 
famous  pioneer  survives  in  many  a  feature  of  our  western 


126  THE    YELLOWSTOXE    NATIOXAL    PARK. 

geography,  but  in  none  with  greater  honor  than  in  this* 
little  lake  among  the  mountains  that  he  knerw  so  well ;  and 
near  the  source  of  that  majestic  stream  with  which  so  much 
of  his  eventful  life  was  identified. 

Heart  Lake  was  named  prior  to  1870  for  an  old  hunter 
by  the  name  of  Hart  Hunney,  who  in  early  times  plied  his 
trade  in  this  vicinity.  He  was  possibly  one  of  Bonneville's 
men,  for  he  seems  to  have  known  the  General  well  and  to 
have  been  familiar  with  his  operations.  He  was  killed  by  a 
war  party  of  Crows  in  1852. 

The  spelling,  Heart,  dates  from  the  expeditions  of  1871. 
The  notion  that  the  name  arose  from  the  shape  of  the  lake 
seems  to  have  originated  with  Captain  Barlow.  It  has  gen- 
erally been  accepted  although  there  is  really  no  similarity 
between  the  form  of  the  lake  and  that  of  a  heart.  Lewis 
Lake  is  the  only  heart-shaped  lake  in  that  locality. 

Henry  Lake  is  the  name  of  a  noted  lake  outside  the 
limits  of  the  Park  passed  by  tourists  entering  the  Park 
from  the  west.  It  is  named  for  a  celebrated  fur  trader, 
Andrew  Henry,  who  built  a  trading  post  in  1810  on  Henry 
Pork,  the  outlet  of  the  lake. 

Jackson  Lake  was  so  called  for  David  Jackson,  a  noted 
mountaineer  and  fur  trader,  and  one  of  the  first  three 
partners  of  the  Rocky  Mountain  Fur  Company.  This  lake 
was  discovered  by  John  Colter  and  was  named  by  Clark 
Lake  Bidclle,  in  honor  of  Nicholas  Biddle,  who  first  gave 
to  the  world  an  authentic  edition  of  the  journal  of  the  cele- 
brated Lewis  and  Clark  Expedition.  This  original  name 
never  gained  any  currency. 

Leigh  Lake  is  for  Richard  Leigh  ('Beaver  Dick'^),  a 
noted  hunter,  trapper  and  guide  in  the  country  around  the 
Teton  Mountains.  The  nickname  ^^Beaver  Dick''  arose,  not 
from  the  fact  that  Leigh  was  an  expert  beaver  trapper,  but 


GEOGRAPTflCAL  NAMES   IN   YELLOWSTONE  PARK.       127 

on  account  of  the  striking  resemblance  of  two  abnonnally 
large  front  teeth  in  his  upper  jaw  to  the  teeth  of  a  beaver. 
The  Indians  called  him  "The  Beaver." 

Such  are  the  principal  names  given  for  the  pioneers  of 
this  region — those  who  entered  it  before  the  era  of  explora- 
tion. The  explorer  list  is  much  more  voluminous. 
Among  the  first  under  this  head  are  those  relating  to  the 
Lewis  and  Clark  Expedition  of  1804-6.  There  are  three  of 
these  names,  Gallatin,  Madison,  and  Lewis.  The  first 
designates  one  of  the  Three  Forks  of  the  Missouri,  which 
takes  its  rise  in  the  northeast  comer  of  the  Park  in  the 
Gallatin  Mountains.  The  second  is  also  one  of  the  Three 
Forks,  and  rises  (through  its  largest  tributary,  the  Firehole 
Eiver)  in  Madison  Lake,  ten  miles  south  of  Lone  Star 
Geyser.  Lewis  Lake  and  Eiver  are,  of  course,  named  in 
honor  of  the  famous  explorer,  Captain  Merriwether  Lewis. 

Eaynolds  Pass,  the  name  of  a  feature  which  lies  out- 
side the  Park  near  Henry  Lake,  dates  from  the  Eaynolds 
Exploring  Expedition  of  1859-60. 

DeLacy  Creek  commemorates  the  prospecting  expedition 
across  the  Park  in  1863  under  the  leadership  of  Walter  W. 
DeLaey,  a  well-known  civil  engineer  of  ^lontana. 

Folsom  Peak  is  a  well-earned  honor  that  has  fallen  upon 
David  M.  Folsom,  the  explorer  of  1869,  and  the  first  indi- 
vidual who  ever  made  anything  like  a  complete  report  of 
a  tour  of  the  Park. 

Of  the  ten  members  of  the  Washburn  Expedition  of 
1870,  including  Lieutenant  Doane,  five  bequeathed  their 
names  to  prominent  mountains  of  the  Park.  The  leader  of 
the  party  was  particularly  fortunate,  for  his  name,  Wash- 
hiirn,  is  on  the  most  noted  summit  in  the  Park,  a  mountain 
which  will  forever  be  one  of  the  chief  delights  of  visitors 
to  this  region. 


128  THE   YELLOWSTONE    NATIONAL    PARK. 

Lang  ford  and  Doane  are  names  that  have  found  enviable 
resting  places  on  two  noble  summits  of  the  Absaroka  Range^ 
east  of  the  Yellowstone  Lake. 

Hedges  Peak  does  honor  to  the  member  of  the  party  who 
first  proposed  the  idea  of  converting  this  region  into  a 
National  Park,  and  whose  subsequent  writings  did  much 
to  carry  that  idea  into  effect. 

Truman  G.  Everts,  the  benighted  wanderer,  was  re- 
warded for  his  suffering  and  peril  by  having  his  name  given 
to  a  famous  feature  of  the  Park,  the  bold  and  lofty  rampart 
that  faces  Mammoth  Hot  Springs  from  across  the  Gardiner 
Eiver.  The  location  of  the  name  was  an  awkward  mis- 
chance. The  mountain  which  should  bear  the  name  is  Mt. 
Sheridan.  It  was  named  for  Everts  by  the  Washburn 
Party  the  night  before  he  was  lost,  in  recognition  of  his 
having  been  the  first  white  man  (except  Mr.  Hedges,  who 
was  with  him)  known  to  have  visited  its  summit.  In  the 
writings  of  the  Washburn  Party,  after  their  return,  it  is  so 
used ;  one  very  interesting  article,  by  Mr.  Hedges,  with  this 
name  as  a  title,  being  published  in  the  Helena  Herald 
before  it  was  known  that  Mr.  Everts  had  been  found.  But 
the  name  was  finally  given  to  the  high  land  between  the 
Gardiner  and  the  Yellowstone,  a  feature  which  is  not  a 
mountain  at  all,  and  which  is  ten  miles  from  where  Everts 
was  found.  The  actual  locality  of  the  finding  was  erron- 
eously supposed  to  be  near  "Eescue  Creek." 

Follo^^'ing  the  Washburn  Expedition  came  those  of  1871. 
Captain  Barlow  was  the  only  member  of  his  party  who 
succeeded  in  leaving  his  name  in  the  Park.  For  several 
years  it  designated  the  upper  course  of  Snake  Eiver,  but 
was  later  transferred  to  a  neighboring  mountain.  Barlow 
Peak,  in  order  that  the  true  name  of  the  river  might  apply 
to  its  source. 


Tower  Creek. 


GEOGRAPHICAL  NAMES  IX   YELLOWSTONE  PARK.       129 

If  Captain  Barlow  left  no  other  names  of  his  party,  he 
did  leave  three  distinguished  names  of  Army  Officers  who 
had  officially  aided  in  his  exploration  or  had  otherwise 
laljored  in  the  interest  of  that  region.  He  remembered  the 
chief  of  his  Corps  in  ]\lt.  Humphreys,  and  the  commander 
of  the  Military  Department  in  which  the  Park  countr}-  was 
then  situated  in  Mt.  Hancock;  and  that  distinguished 
eoldier  and  faithful  friend  of  the  Park,  who  often  visited 
it  and  always  worked  for  its  interest,  in  Mt.  Sheridan. 

The  United  States  Geological  Survey  is  represented  in 
the  Park  nomenclature  be3'ond  any  other  organization,  and 
not  always  with  the  best  judgment.  Some  important 
names,  like  that  of  Dr.  Arnold  Hague  and  Mr.  Henry  Gan- 
nett, are  absent,  while  others  of  no  especial  claim  or  merit 
are  present. 

The  distinguished  name  of  Dr.  Haijden  is  perpetuated 
in  the  valley  of  the  Yellowstone  River,  between  Mud  Geyser 
and  the  Falls. 

The  name  of  James  Stevenson,  Hayden's  right-hand 
man,  and  by  some  considered  his  superior  as  an  explorer, 
designates  one  of  the  trio  of  Peaks — Langford,  Doane  and 
Stevenson — in  the  Absaroka  Eange.  There  is  also  a 
Stevenson  Island  in  the  Yellowstone  Lake. 

Mt.  Chittenden  is  for  George  B.  Chittenden;  Bechler 
Elver,  for  Gusta\ais  A.  Bechler;  Coulter  Creel-,  for  John 
M.  Coulter,  the  botanist;  Hering  Lake,  for  Rudolph 
Hering,  the  eminent  civil  engineer ;  Mt.  Holmes,  for  W.  H. 
Holmes,  geologist;  Carrington  Island,  for  Campbell  Car- 
rington,  zoologist;  Peale  Island,  for  Dr.  A.  C.  Pcale,  author 
of  the  elaborate  report  upon  hot  springs  and  geysers  in  tlie 
Hayden  report  of  1878. 

Jones  Pass  and  Jones  Creek  are  for  Captain  W.  A. 
Jones,  who  led  an  expedition  into  the  Park  from  the  east 
in  1873 


130  THE    YELLOWSTONE    NATIONAL    PARK. 

Mt.  Hoyt  is  for  Hon.  John  W.  Hoyt,  who,  as  Governor 
of  Wyoming  Territory,  made  a  reconnaissance  into  the 
Park  in  1881. 

Mason  Creek  is  in  honor  of  Major  J.  W.  Mason,  who 
commanded  Governor  Hoyt's  escort.  Both  of  the  foregoing 
names  were  given  by  Colonel  Norris. 

Gihhoji  Eiver  was  named  by  Colonel  Norris  for  General 
John  Gibbon,  who  explored  this  stream  in  1872. 

A  few  names  have  been  given  in  recognition  of  scientific, 
literary  or  other  service  to  the  Park. 

Bnnsen  Peak  is  for  the  eminent  chemist  and  physicist, 
Eobert  Wilhelm  Bunsen;  inventor  of  the  Bunsen  electric 
cell  and  of  the  Bunsen  gas  burner;  co-discoverer  with 
Kirchoff  of  the  principle  of  Spectrum  Anatysis;  and  the 
first  thorough  investigator  of  the  phenomena  of  geyser 
action. 

Dunraven  Peak  was  named  by  Henry  Gannett  for  the 
Earl  of  Dunraven,  "whose  travels  and  writings  have  done 
so  much  toward  making  this  region  known  to  our  cousins 
across  the  water." 

Dunraven  visited  the  Park  in  1874.  In  1876,  he  pub- 
lished his  "Great  Divide,"  describing  his  travels  in  the 
West.  Colonel  Norris  named  this  peak  after  himself,  and 
coupled  it  with  Mt.  Washburn  in  a  characteristic  poem. 
But  the  United  States  Geological  Survey  decided  other- 
wise, and  transferred  the  Colonel's  name  to  the  northeast 
corner  of  the  Park. 

Mt.  Moran,  one  of  the  Tetons,  was  named  for  Thomas 
Moran,  whose  paintings  of  the  scenery  of  this  region  have 
done  so  much  to  make  it  known  to  the  world. 

Mt.  Norris,  Norris  Pass  and  Norris  Geyser  Basin*  are. 


*  This  basin  was  first  explored,  described  and  opened  up  to 
tourists  by  Colonel  Norris.     It  was^J^wever,  discovered  in 


GEOGRAPHICAL  NAMES   IX   YELLOWSTONE  PARK.       131 

of  .course,  named  for  P.  W.  Morris,  second  Superintendent 
of  the  Park.  Elsewhere  we  have  given  a  sketch  of  the 
enthusiastic  and  loyal  friend  of  the  Park  for  whom  these 
features  were  named.  It  was  not  the  Colonel's  fault  that 
his  name  was  restricted  to  so  few  places  along  the  route  of 
the  tourist. 

Mt.  Huntley,  in  the  Gallatin  Eange,  was  named  for  the 
late  S.  S.  Huntley,  who  built  up  the  present  admirable 
system  of  tourist  transportation  in  the  Park. 

Many  of  the  personal  names  in  the  Park  were  given 
from  motives  of  friendship  or  a  desire  to  honor  distin- 
guished officials.  In  several  instances  the  persons  so  hon- 
ored never  saw  the  Park. 

Ahiathar  Peak  is  for  Charles  Abiathar  White,  paleon- 
tologist, United  States  Geological  Survey. 

Atkins  Peak  is  for  John  D.  C.  Atkins,  at  one  time  United 
States  Indian  Commissioner. 

Mt.  Schurz  was  named  for  the  Secretary  of  the  Interior 
under  President  Hayes. 

Lamar  River  is  for  the  person  who  held  the  same  port- 
folio under  President  Cleveland. 

Kepler  Cascade  was  named  by  Colonel  ISTorris  for  the 
twelve-year-old  son  of  Governor  Hoyt. 

Virginia  Cascade  is  for  the  daughter  of  the  late  Charles 


1872  by  E.  S.  Topping  and  Dwight  Woodruff,  who  were  led  in 
that  direction  by  noticing  from  the  summit  of  Bunsen  Peak 
a  vast  column  of  steam  ascending  to  the  southward.  The  day 
after  this  discovery,  a  tourist  party,  including  a  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
H.  H.  Stone,  of  Bozeman,  Montana,  visited  it  from  Mammoth 
Hot  Springs,  and  then  continued  their  course,  by  way  of  the 
general  line  of  the  present  route,  to  the  Firehole  Geyser  Basin. 
Mrs.  Stone  was  the  first  white  woman  to  visit  the  Park. 


132  THE    YELLOWSTONE    NATIONAL   PARK. 

Gibson,  at  one  time  President  of  the  Yellowstone  Park 
Association. 

Isa  Lake  and  Craig  Pass,  where  the  road  first  crosses  the 
Continental  Divide,  are  for  the  first  tourists  who  visited 
these  features. 

Mary  Lake  (and  with  it  Mary  Mountain)  was  named  in 
1873,  and  a  definite  record  of  the  christening  has  been  left 
us  by  the  Eev.  E.  J.  Stanley : 

"We  passed  along  the  bank  of  a  lovely  little  lakelet, 
Bleeping  in  seclusion  in  the  shade  of  towering  evergreens, 
by  which  it  is  sheltered  from  the  roaring  tempests.  It  is 
near  the  Divide,  and  on  its  pebbly  shore  some  members  of 
our  party  unfurled  the  Stars  and  Stripes,  and  christened 
it  Mary-'s  Lake,  in  honor  of  Miss  Clark,  a  young  lady  be- 
longing to  our  party." 

Frank  Island,  in  the  Yellowstone  Lake,  is  for  the  brothei 
of  Henry  W.  Elliott,  a  member  of  the  Hayden  Expedition 
of  1871. 

Mary  Bay  is  for  Mary  Force,  a  sweetheart  of  another 
member  of  the  same  expedition. 

The  Annie,  first  boat*  on  the  Yellowstone  Lake,  was 
christened  for  Miss  Anna  L.  Dawes,  daughter  of  Hon.  H. 
L.  Dawes,  at  that  time  a  Senator  of  the  United  States. 

The  native  tribes  of  the  continent  are  remembered  to  a 
small  extent  in  the  nomenclature  of  the  Park,  as  much, 
perhaps,  as  they  ought  to  be  considering  their  small  con- 
nection with  it. 


♦  The  frame  and  cover  for  this  boat  were  brought  from  Salt 
Lake  City  and  assembled  at  the  lake.  In  the  well-known 
picture  of  this  historic  craft,  the  persons  in  the  boat  are  James 
Stevenson  and  Henry  W.  Elliott. 


GEOGRAPHICAL  NAMES  IN   YELLOWSTONE  PARK.      133 

AhsaroJca  Range  is  given  for  the  Crow  Indians,  whose 
immemorial  home,  Absaroka,  was  in  the  valley  of  the  Big 
Horn  River  at  the  eastern  base  of  these  mountains.  The 
range  was  first  known  ])y  the  name  Yellowstone,  and  in 
1873  was  rechristened  by  ^Fajor  Jones,  Sierra  Shoshone. 
The  present  name  was  given  al)out  the  year  1885. 

Bannock  Peak,  in  the  Gallatin  Range,  is  from  the  name  of 
a  tribe  of  Indians  who  inhabited  the  country  to  the  south- 
west of  the  Park,  and  were  finally  settled  on  a  reservation 
in  southern  Idaho.  What  is  known  as  the  Great  Bannock 
Trail,  passed  along  the  valley  of  Indian  Creek,  some  dis- 
tance south  of  this  mountain.  The  spelling  here  given 
is  that  which  custom  seems  finally  to  have  settled  upon; 
but  Bannack  would  more  nearly  express  the  original 
pronunciation.  The  various  spellings,  some  sixteen  in 
number,  come  from  the  original  Panai'hti,  or  Bannailiti, 
meaning  southern  people. 

Joseph  Peak  is  for  the  famous  chief  of  the  Xez  Perce 
Indians,  who  made  a  forced  tour  of  the  Park  in  the 
year  1877. 

Sheepeater  Cliffs  were  so  named  by  Colonel  Norris  in 
commenioration  of  the  only  tribe  of  Indians  that  ever 
permanently  dwelt  in  the  Park.  These  clifi's  are  tlie  mag- 
nificent walls  of  the  Middle  Gardiner  Canon  below  Osprey 
Falls. 

It  was  upon  one  of  the  ^'ancient  and  but  recently 
deserted,  secluded,  unknown  haunts''  of  these  Indians,  that 
Colonel  Xorris,  "in  rapt  astonishment,''  stumbled  one  day, 
and  was  so  impressed  by  what  he  saw,  that  he  gave  the 
neighboring  cliff  its  present  name.  He  thus  describes  this 
retreat  :* 


*  Page  10,  Annual  Report  Superintendent  of  the  Park  for 
1879. 


134  THE    YELLO^YSTOXE    NATIONAL    PARK. 

"It  is  mainly  carpeted  with  soft  grass,  dotted,  fringed, 
and  overhung  with  small  pines,  firs  and  cedars,  and,  with 
the  subdued  and  mingled  murmur  of  the  rapids  and  cata- 
racts above  and  below  it,  and  the  laughing  ripple  of  the 
gliding  stream,  is  truly  an  enchanting  dell — a  ^dnd  and 
etorm  sheltered  refuge  for  the  feeble  remnant  of  a  fading 
race.'' 

Indian  Creeh,  a  tributary  of  the  Gardiner,  is  a  stream 
along  which  ran  the  old  Bannock  Trail. 

Indian  Pond  describes  a  beautiful  little  sheet  of  water 
close  to  the  north  shore  of  the  Yellowstone.  Its  banks  were 
a  favorite  camping  ground  for  the  Indians. 

Nez  Perce  CreeJc  requires  no  explanation  to  those  who 
have  read  the  story  of  the  flight  of  Chief  Joseph  and  his 
braves  up  the  valley  of  this  stream  in  1877. 

Shoshone,  the  name  of  a  family  of  Indians  that  occupied 
the  whole  countr}^  south  and  southwest  of  the  Park  as  far 
as  to  the  Sierra  Xevada  Mountains,  designates  two  natural 
features  of  the  Park,  Shoshone  Lake  and  Shoshone  Eiver. 
The  Lake,  which  is  one  of  the  sources  of  Snake  Eiver, 
was  first  named  De  Lacy  Lake,  after  its  discov- 
erer. The  Washburn  Party  (1870)  appear  to  have  named 
it  after  their  leader.  In  1871,  Doctor  Hayden,  failing  to 
identify  its  location,  and  believing  it  to  be  tributary  to  the 
^Madison  Eiver,  renamed  it  Madison  Lake.  It  is  this  name 
which  appears  on  the  first  map  of  the  Park  and  in  the  Act 
of  Dedication,  where  the  west  boundary  of  the  Park  is 
described  as  being  "fifteen  miles  west  of  the  most  western 
point  of  Madison  Lake."  In  1872,  when  the  correct  drain- 
age of  the  lake  was  discovered,  the  name  "Madison  Lake" 
was  transferred  to  its  present  location  (See  "Madison 
Lake"),  and  its  place  supplied  by  "Shoshone  Lake."  Tlie 
Act  of  Dedication  is  therefore  misleading^  and  it  is  neces- 


GEOGRAPHICAL  NAMES  IX   YELLOWSTONE  PARK.       135 

sary  to  know  that  "Madison  Lake"  of  the  Act,  is  "Shoshone 
Lake*'  now^  in  order  to  understand  the  true  location  of  the 
west  boundary  of  the  Park.* 

Shoshone  liiver  received  its  first  name^  Stinkingwater, 
from  John  Colter,  who  so  named  it  from  a  tar  sprincr  of 
very  strong  odor  near  the  junction  of  the  two  forks  of  the 
stream.  The  river  itself  is  one  of  the  purest  and  most 
beautiful  in  the  mountains,  and  the  original  name  was  so 
inappropriate  that  it  has  been  changed  to  its  present  name 
by  an  Act  of  the  Legislature  of  Wyoming. 

There  are  a  few  names  which  do  not  fall  under  any  of 
the  above  classes  and  some  which  are  eccentric  and  fanciful 
in  character. 

Calfee  and  Miller  Creeks  were  named  by  Colonel  Xorris, 
and  this  is  his  record  of  the  fact: 

"Some  seven  miles  above  Cache  Creek  we  passed  the 
mouth  of  another  stream  in  a  deep,  narrow,  timbered  val- 
ley, which  we  named  Calfee  Creek^  after  tlie  famous  pho- 
tographer of  the  Park.  Five  miles  further  on,  we  reached 
the  creek  which  Miller  recognized  as  the  one  he  descended 
in  retreating  from  tlie  Indians  in  1870,  and  which  on  this 
account,  we  called  Miller's  Creek.'' 

Cache  Creek  was  so  named  from  the  following  cireum- 
Btance:  A  prospecting  party  under  one  Austin  were  in 
camp  on  this  stream  when  they  were  surprised  by  Indians, 
and  all  their  stock  stolen  except  one  or  two  mules.  Being 
unable  to  carry  all  their  baggage  from  this  point,  they 
cached  what  they  could  not  place  on  the  mules,  or  could 
not  themselves  carry. 

Crevice,  Hellroaring  and  Slough   Creels,  all  names  of 


♦  Page  250,  Sixth  Annual  Report  of  Dr.  Hayden. 


136  THE    YELLOWSTONE    NATIONAL   PARK. 

tributaries  of  the  Yellowstone  Eiver  from  the  mountains 
along  the  north  border  of  the  Park,  are  survivals  of  the 
early  prospecting  days  in  this  region.  Topping,  in  his 
"Chronicles  of  the  Yellowstone/^  records  the  circumstance 
that  gave  rise  to  the  names: 

"They  [a  prospecting  party]  found  gold  in  a  crevice  at 
the  mouth  of  the  first  stream  above  Bear,  and  named  it,  in 
consequence,  Crevice  Gulch.  Hubbel  went  ahead  the  next 
day  for  a  hunt,  and  upon  his  return  he  was  asked  what 
kind  of  a  stream  the  next  creek  was.  ^It's  a  hell  roarer,' 
was  his  reply,  and  Hell  Roaring  is  its  name  to  this  day. 
The  second  day  after  this,  he  was  again  ahead,  and,  the 
same  question  being  asked  him,  he  said:  ' 'Twas  but  a 
slough.^  When  the  party  came  to  it,  they  found  a  rushing 
torrent,  and,  in  crossing,  a  pack  horse  and  his  load  were 
swept  away,  but  the  name  of  Slough  Creek  remains." 

Boone  Creeh  was  named  prior  to  1870,  for  Eobert  With- 
row,  an  eccentric  pioneer  of  Irish  descent,  who  used  to  call 
himself  "Daniel  Boone  the  Second." 

Solution  Creeh  is  the  outlet  of  Eiddle  Lake. 

Surprise  Creeh  was  so  named  because  its  course,  as 
made  known  by  official  explorations,  was  surprisingly  dif- 
ferent from  what  it  had  before  been  understood. 

Delusion  Lahe  was  long  supposed  to  be  an  arm  of  the 
Yellowstone  Lake,  its  index  "finger"  in  the  fanciful  re- 
eemblance  of  the  lake  to  tlie  human  hand.  This  delusion 
was  cleared  away  by  official  explorations. 

Eiddle  Lahe  is  thus  accounted  for  by  Professor  Bradley, 
of  the  United  States  Geological  Survey : 

"  'Lake  Eiddle*  is  a  fugitive  name,  which  has  been  lo- 
cated at  several  places,  but  nowhere  permanently.  It  is 
supposed  to  have  been  used  originally  to  designate  the 
mythical  lake,  among  the  mountains,  whence,  according  to 


GEOGRAPHICAL  NAMES   IX   YELLOWSTONE  PARK.       157 

the  hunters,  water  flowed  to  both  oceans.  I  have  agreed  to 
Mr.  Hering's  proposal  to  attach  the  name  to  this  lake, 
which  is  directly  upon  the  divide  at  a  point  where  the 
waters  of  the  two  oceans  start  so  nearly  together,  and  thus 
to  solve  the  unsolved  ^riddle'  of  the  *^two-ocean-water.' " 

This  was  a  year  before  Captain  Jones  verified  the  exist- 
ence of  Two-Ocean-Pass. 

This  completes  the  list  of  personal  names  in  the  Park, 
and  it  now  remains  to  note  a  few  of  the  more  important 
that  we  have  classed  as  characteristic — names  expressive  of 
the  form,  color,  composition,  or  other  peculiarity  of  the 
object  named. 

Cinimhar  Mountain,  a  prominent  feature  near  the 
northern  entrance  to  the  Park,  was  "so  named  from  the 
color  of  its  rocks,  which  have  been  mistaken  for  Cinnabar, 
although  the  red  color  is  due  to  iron." — Hayden.  The 
Devil's  Slide  (also  named  before  1870)  is  on  this  moun- 
tain. 

Electric  Peak,  the  highest  mountain  in  the  Park,  received 
its  name  from  the  following  circumstance,  described  by 
Mr.  Henry  Gannett,  who  ascended  the  mountain  with  sur- 
veying instruments,  July  26,  1872: 

"A  thunder-shower  was  approaching  as  we  neared  the 
summit  of  the  mountain.  I  was  above  the  others  of  the 
party,  and,  when  about  fifty  feet  below  the  summit,  the 
electric  current  began  to  pass  through  my  body.  At  first 
I  felt  nothing,  but  heard  a  crackling  noise,  similar  to  a 
rapid  discharge  of  sparks  from  a  friction  machine.  Imme- 
diately after,  I  began  to  feel  a  tingling  or  pricking  sensa- 
tion in  my  head  and  the  end  of  my  fingers,  which.,  as  well 
as  the  noise,  increased  rapidly,  until,  when  I  reached  the 
top,  the  noise,  which  had  not  changed  its  character,  was 
(6*) 


138  THE    YELLOWSTOXE    NATIONAL    PARK. 

deafening,  and  m}"  hair  stood  completely  on  end,  while  the 
tingling,  pricking  sensation  was  absolutely  painful.  Takinig 
off  my  hat  partially  relieved  me.  I  started  down  again,  and 
met  the  others  twenty-iive  or  thirty  feet  below  the  summit. 
They  were  affected  similarly,  but  in  a  less  degree.  One  of 
them  attempted  to  go  to  the  top,  but  had  proceeded  but 
ft  few  feet  when  he  received  quite  a  severe  shock,  which 
felled  him  as  if  he  had  stumbled.  We  then  returned  down 
the  mountain  about  three  hundred  feet,  and  to  this  point 
we  still  heard  and  felt  the  electricity." 

Elephant  Back  was  so  named  ^'On  account  of  the  almost 
vertical  sides  of  this  mountain,  and  the  rounded  form  of 
the  summit." — Hayden. 

This  name,  as  now  applied,  refers  to  a  different  feature 
from  that  originally  designated  by  it.  Many  years  before 
the  Park  was  discovered,  it  was  used  to  denote  the  long 
ridge  of  which  Mt.  Washburn  is  the  commanding  summit, 
and  which  was  distinctly  visible  from  beyond  the  present 
limits  of  the  Park,  both  north  and  south. 

Factory  Hill. — The  term  ^^factory"  has  at  various  times 
been  applied  to  several  different  localities  in  the  Park, 
because  of  their  striking  resemblance  on  frosty  mornings 
to  an  active  factory  town.  The  resemblance  was  noted  as 
far  back  as  1829.  The  name  has  now  become  fixed,  as 
above  indicated. 

Index  Peak  and  Pilot  Knob  are  two  imposing  summits 
near  the  northeast  corner  of  the  Park,  and  received 
their  names  before  1870.  ''One  of  them  derives  its  name 
from  its  shape, — like  a  closed  hand  with  the  index-finger 
extending  upward,  while  the  other  is  visible  from  so  great 
a  distance  on  every  side  that  it  forms  an  excellent  land- 
mark for  the  wandering  miner,  and  thus  its  appropriate 
name  of  Pilot  Knob." — Hayden, 


GEOGRAPHICAL  NAMES  IN    YELLOWSTONE  PARK.       139 

Roaring  Mountain  "takes  its  name  from  the  shrill,  pen- 
etrating sound  of  the  stream  constantly  escaping  from  one 
or  more  vents  near  the  summit." — Hague. 

Sepulcher  Mountain  is  so  called  from  the  striking  fea- 
ture on  its  northern  slope  which  resembles  a  tomb  or  sepul- 
cher with  a  prominent  footstone  and  headstone. 

The  Teton  Mountains  were  named  by  the  French  trap- 
pers as  early  as  1811  from  the  fancied  resemblance  of 
these  peaks,  when  seen  from  a  distance,  to  the  nipple  of 
the  human  breast.  The  name  is  now  nearly  a  century  old 
and  has  passed  into  all  the  literature  describing  that  coun- 
try, particularly  that  of  its  fur  trade  era,  the  most  roman- 
tic and  fascinating  in  western  history.  Indeed,  it  has 
become  the  classic  designation  of  the  most  interesting  his- 
toric summit  of  the  Eocky  Mountains.  That  it  should 
always  retain  this  designation  in  memory  of  the  nameless 
pioneers  who  have  been  guided  by  it  across  the  wilderness, 
ajid  many  of  whom  have  perished  beneath  its  shadow, 
would  seem  to  be  a  self-evident  proposition.  Individual 
merit,  no  matter  how  great,  can  never  justify  the  usurpa- 
tion of  its  place  by  any  personal  name  whatever.  An  at- 
tempt to  do  this  was  made  in  1872  by  the  United  States 
Geological  Survey  who  rechristened  it  ^It.  Hayden.  The 
new  name  has  never  gained  any  local  standing,  and  al- 
though it  has  crept  into  many  maps  its  continued  use  ought 
to  be  discouraged.  It  is  greatly  to  the  credit  of  Dr.  Hay- 
den that  he  personally  disapproved  the  change,  so  far  at 
least,  as  very  rarely,  if  ever,  to  refer  to  the  mountain  by 
its  new  name. 

Fireliolc  Jiivcr  is  a  name  the  origin  of  which  has  here- 
tofore apparently  been  misunderstood.  It  dates  from  back 
as  far  as  1830,  when  the  valley  was  called  by  the  tra]~tp.^rs 
"Burnt  Hole/'  from  a  great  forest  fire  which  had  recently 


140  THE    YELLOWSTONE    NATIONAL    PAEK. 

swept  over  it,  the  traces  of  which  are  distinctly  visible  at 
the  present  day.  The  record  on  this  point  is  definite  and 
conclusive. 

Atlajitic  and  Pacific  Creel's  flow  out  of  Two-Ocean  Pass, 
where  a  mountain  stream  divides,  sending  its  waters 
through  these  streams  to  the  two  oceans. 

Outlet  Creeh  was  the  outlet  of  Yellowstone  Lake  when  it 
was  a  tributary  of  the  Columbia  Eiver. 

Pelican  Creeh  very  properly  designates  a  stream  the 
mouth  of  which,  on  the  north  shore  of  the  Yellowstone 
Lake,  is  a  great  resort  for  this  particular  species  of  bird. 
Pelican  Eoost  is  an  island  near  by. 

Soda  Butte  Creek  is  so  named  from  an  extinct  geyser, 
or  hot  spring  mound,  near  the  mouth  of  that  stream. 

Tangled  CreeJc,  in  the  Lower  Geyser  Basin,  is  a  most 
appropriate  name.  The  stream  is  a  perfect  network  of 
separate  channels  which  cross  and  recross  and  interlace 
with  each  other  in  the  most  confusing  fashion. 

Violet  Creek,  in  Hayden  Yalle}',  is  bordered  with  dense 
growths  of  the  ^ild  violet. 

Tower  Falls  was  named  by  the  Washburn  party,  and  this 
is  their  record  of  the  fact  and  the  reason  therefor : 

"By  a  vote  of  a  majority  of  the  party  this  fall  was  called 
Tower  Fall.''— Washburn. 

"At  the  crest  of  the  fall  the  stream  has  cut  its  way 
through  amygdaloid  masses,  leaving  tall  spires  of  rock  from 
60  to  100  feet  in  height,  and  worn  in  every  conceivable 
shape.  .  .  .  Several  of  them  stand  like  sentinels  on 
the  very  brink  of  the  fall." — Doane. 

Sylvan  Lake  is  not  surpassed  by  any  name  in  the  Park 
in  point  of  fitness.  No  finer  example  of  sylvan  scenery 
can  be  found  anywhere  than  that  embracing  this  exquisite 
sheet  of  water. 


GEOGRAPHICAL  NAMES  IX   YELLOWSTONE  PARK.      141 

There  are  many  other  names  in  the  Park,  all  of  them 
given  for  the  fauna  and  flora  that  flourish  there.  They  are 
not  characteristic  in  the  sense  that  a  particular  name  has 
any  especial  application  to  the  ohject  which  it  designates. 
The  features  so  named  are  all  of  minor  importance  and  it 
is  not  essential  to  enumerate  them  here. 


CHAPTER  XV. 

AN"  INDIAN  CAMPAIGN   THROUGH  THE  YELLOWSTONE  PARK. 

In  a  letter  dated  at  Fort  Ellis,  Montana  Territory, 
August  19,  1877,  addressed  to  the  Hon.  George  W. 
McCreary,  Secretary  of  War,  the  writer.  General  W.  T. 
Sherman,  then  on  a  tour  of  inspection  of  the  "country 
north  of  the  Union  Pacific  Railroad,''  tells  of  his  recent 
visit  to  the  Yellowstone  National  Park.  This  was  about 
the  period  when  our  Indian  wars  in  the  Ear  West  were  at 
their  height.  Only  a  year  had  elapsed  since  the  Custer 
massacre.  It  was  the  crisis  of  the  Indian  military  ques- 
tion. There  was  at  that  time  scarcely  a  spot  in  the  whole 
Missouri  and  Yellowstone  Valleys  that  was  safe  from 
Indian  depredations.  Naturally,  therefore.  General  Sher- 
man had  his  mind  upon  this  subject  when  his  small  party, 
comparatively  unprotected,  were  traveling  through  the 
wilds  of  the  National  Park.  But  he  saw  nothing  there 
to  excite  his  fears,  and  in  the  letter  above  referred  to,  says : 
"We  saw  no  signs  of  Indians  and  felt  at  no  moment  more 
sense  of  danger  than  we  do  here."  It  will  presently  be 
seen  how  delusive  was  this  fancied  security,  and  by  how 
narrow  a  margin  it  escaped  resulting  disastrously  to  the 
General's  party. 

The  tour  from  Fort  Ellis  to  the  Park  and  return  had 

taken  from  August  4th  to  August  18th.     On  the  latter 

date,  the  party  met  an  ingoing  company  of  tourists  from 

Helena  composed  of  the  following  persons :  A.  J.  Weikert, 

^Richard  Dietrich,  Frederic  Pfister,  Joseph  Roberts,  Charles 


AN   INDIAN    CAMPAIGN    THROUGH  THE   PARK.         143 

Kenck,  Jack  Stewart,  August  Foller,  Leslie  Wilke,  L.  Dun- 
can, and  Benjamin  Stone  (colored  cook).  The  party  fol- 
lowed the  usual  route  to  the  Grand  Canon  and  Falls  of  the 
Yellowstone,  where  they  were  in  camp  August  2ith. 

As  they  were  entering  the  territory  of  the  Park,  another 
party  was  on  the  point  of  leaving  it  after  a  tour  of  about 
two  weeks.  This  party  was  composed  of  the  following  p.  r- 
sons,  most  of  whom  were  front  Eadersburg,  Montana: 
George  F.  Cowan  and  wife^  Frank  and  Ida  Carpenter, 
brother  and  sister  of  Mrs.  Cowan^  Charles  Mann,  William 
Dingee,  Albert  Oldham,  A.  J.  Arnold,  and  a  Mr.  Meyers. 
They  had  formed  a  permanent  camp  in  the  Lower  Basin, 
near  where  the  Fountain  Hotel  now  stands,  and  from  that 
point  had  made  daily  short  excursions  to  the  various  local- 
ities of  interest.  They  all  visited  the  geyser  basins  and 
some  of  the  party  crossed  to  the  Lake  and  Canon  of  the 
Yellowstone.  They  must  have  been  seen  by  the  Sherman 
party,  for  they  were  directly  in  its  route.  The  party  com- 
pleted their  tour  of  the  Park  August  23d,  and  had  ar- 
ranged to  set  out  for  home  early  on  the  following  morning. 

In  order  to  understand  the  unfortunate  turn  which  the 
affairs  of  these  two  tourist  parties  w^ere  about  to  take,  it 
will  be  necessary  to  explain,  in  briefest  outline,  the  cause 
and  previous  incidents  of  one  of  the  most  remarkable 
Indian  campaigns  in  our  history. 

From  the  time  of  Lewis  and  Clark,  the  Xez  Perce  In- 
dians had  dwelt  in  what  are  now  the  States  of  Oregon, 
Washington,  and  Idaho.  Their  territory  extended  from 
the  Salmon  Eiver  on  the  south  to  the  Pelouse  Eiver  on 
the  north,  and  from  the  Bitter  Koot  ^fountains  westward 
into  the  present  States  of  Idaho  and  Washington.  In  1855 
they  ceded  to  the  United  States  a  part  of  their  territory, 
and  the  principal  chiefs  located  in  the  several  portions  of 


144  THE   YELLOWSTONE    NATIONAL    PARK. 

the  remainder.  In  I860,  gold  was  discovered  on  the  reser- 
vation and  the  usual  gold  rush  followed.  The  danger  of  a 
conflict  with  the  Indians  became  so  great  that  a  temporary 
arrangement,  pending  action  by  the  government,  was 
made  between  them  and  their  Indian  agent,  opening  a  por- 
tion of  the  reservation  '^to  the  whites  in  common  with  the 
Indians  for  mining  purposes.''^ 

But  the  settlers  did  not  stop  with  these  concessions.  In 
defiance  of  law,  they  built  the  town  of  Lewiston  on  the 
reservation,  and  gave  other  proofs  of  their  project  for  per- 
manent occupancy.  It  soon  became  necessary  for  the  gov- 
ernment to  take  some  decisive  step,  and  this  was  accom- 
plished in  1863  by  a  new  treaty  in  which  the  Indians  relin- 
quished three  of  their  most  important  valleys,  the  Wallowa, 
the  Alpowai,  and  the  Salmon  River. 

The  treaty,  however,  was  far  from  receiving  the  general 
assent  of  all  the  chiefs.  A  formidable  faction,  headed  by 
Chiefs  Joseph,  Looking  Glass,  Big  Thunder,  ^\Tiite  Bird, 
and  others,  refused  to  be  bound  by  it,  and  were  henceforth 
referred  to  in  official  reports  as  the  "Non-treaty  Nez 
Perces.'^  For  a  time  the  authorities  made  no  effort  to  en- 
force the  new  treat}^,  and  the  Indians  were  "tacitly  per- 
mitted to  roam^'  over  their  ancient  hunting-grounds. 

This  condition  of  affairs  continued  for  thirteen  years, 
with  various  efforts  in  the  meajitime  to  arrive  at  some  sat- 
isfactor}'  settlement.  Finally,  in  1876,  a  civil  and  military 
commission  was  appointed  to  visit  the  Nez  Perce  Indians, 
to  examine  into  their  grievances,  and  to  determine  what 
measures  were  necessary  for  a  permanent  settlement  of 
the  question.  Tlie  report*  of  this  Commission  is  interest- 
ing, both  for  the  facts  it  relates  in  regard  to  the  tribal  life 
and  characteristics  of  the  Nez  Perce  Indians,  and  for  the 

•  See  Report  of  Secretary  of  the  Interior,  1877,  part  1,  p.  607, 


^ 


Beaver  Dam. 


AJ^  INDIAN  CAMPAIGN  THROUGH  TIEE  PARK.  145 

heroic  treatment  of  the  long-standing  troubles  wliieh  it 
recommends. 

These  Indians  were  altogether  a  peculiar  people.  The 
early  missionaries  had  converted  thora  to  the  Christian 
faith,  and,  whether  from  that  cause,  or  from  natural 
proclivity,  they  were  among  the  most  religious  of  our 
Indian  tribes.  There  is  a  general  concensus  of  authorities 
that,  despite  certain  grave  defects  of  character,  they  were, 
mentally  and  morally,  far  above  the  average  Indian.  In 
later  times,  approaching  the  period  covered  by  this  sketch, 
they  fell  under  the  influence  of  a  class  of  mystics  called 
"dreamers,'^  who  taught  a  doctrine  of  land  ownership  which 
was  the  immediate  cause  of  all  their  subsequent  troubles. 
This  doctrine  was,  in  substance,  that  *^the  'Creative  Power,* 
when  He  made  the  earth,  made  no  marks,  no  lines  of  divi- 
sion or  separation,  upon  it,  and  that  it  should  be  allowed 
to  remain  as  it  is;'^  that  it  '^should  not  be  disturbed  by 
man,  and  that  any  cultivation  of  the  soil,  or  other  im- 
provements, any  voluntary  submission  to  the  control  of 
government/'  were  incompatible  with  the  true  purpose  for 
which  it  was  made.  At  bottom  it  was  the  broad  principle 
that  no  man  or  aggregation  of  men  can  take  from  other 
men  the  right  to  enjoy  what  nature  has  made  free  for  all. 
Why  the  Commission  should  characterize  this  doctrine  as 
''■pernicious,^'  unless  a  thing  is  pernicious  whenever  it  is 
impracticable,  is  not  easy  to  understand.  From  the  point 
of  view  of  the  nomadic  life  of  the  redmen,  it  is  hard  to 
conceive  a  theory  of  land  tenure,  or  the  want  of  it,  more 
nearly  approaching  a  perfect  ideal. 

Unfortunately  for  such  a  doctrine,  at  the  point  at  which 
American  histor}^  had  now  arrived,  it  was  no  longer  possi- 
ble of  realization,  and  any  attempt  to  put  it  in  force  could 
not  result  otherwise  than  in  failure.  So  it  was  with 
(7) 


146  THE    YELLOWSTONE    NATIONAL    PARK. 

Joseph  and  his  followers.  The  government  for  a  long  time 
overlooked  their  infractions  of  the  Treaty  of  1863,  but 
finally  was  compelled  to  interfere.  The  Commission  rec- 
ommended that  the  existing  treaty  be  enforced,  by  military 
aid  if  necessary.  The  recommendation  was  approved,  and 
to  General  0.  0.  Howard  fell  the  task  of  putting  the  In- 
dians on  their  proper  reservation. 

For  a  time  it  seemed  that  they  would  be  induced  to 
submit  without  the  employment  of  active  force;  but  just 
as  success  was  apparently  assured,  the  Indians  murdered 
some  twenty  white  men,  women  and  children,  in  revenge 
for  one  of  their  number  killed  the  previous  year.  Peaceful 
negotiations  came  at  once  to  an  end,  and  the  military 
authorities  assumed  control  of  the  situation.  This  was 
June  13,  1877. 

Between  that  date  and  July  12th,  three  battles  were 
fought,  in  which  both  sides  suffered  severely,  and  the 
Indians  displayed  extraordinary  fighting  abilit3\  They 
then  left  their  country — as  it  proved,  not  to  return — and 
set  out  across  the  mountains  to  their  oft-visited  ^'buffalo 
country,'^  in  the  Judith  Basin,  far  to  the  eastward  of  the 
Upper  Missouri. 

But  their  route  lay  too  close  to  the  military  post  of  Fort 
Missoula  and  to  the  towns  in  the  more  thickly  settled  por- 
tions of  Montana.  They  bore  off  to  the  southward,  through 
a  country  with  whose  people  they  were  well  acquainted, 
and  with  whom  they  had  often  traded  in  previous  excur- 
sions to  the  buffalo  country.  Here  they  found  friends  and 
obtained  the  supplies  they  needed. 

In  the  meantime,  General  Gibbon,  with  a  small  force, 
which  he  had  gathered  from  Forts  Benton,  Shaw,  and  Mis- 
soula, and  from  volunteers  among  ^Montana  citizens,  was 
in  close  pursuit.  He  overtook  the  Indians  on  the  Big  Hole 


AN   INDIAN    CAMPAIGN    THROUGH   THE   PARK.  147 

River,  in  Southwestern  ^lontana,  wiiere  a  desperate  battle 
ensued,  in  which  liis  own  force  was  severely  handled. 

The  Indians  then  passed  south  into  Idaho,  with  Howard 
in  pursuit,  swung  around  to  the  east,  and  recrossed  into 
^Montana  by  way  of  Henry  Lake.  Near  Camas  Creek  they 
had  an  engagement  with  the  pursuing  troops. 

Howard  arrived  at  Henry  Lake  at  8  a.  m.,  August  23cl, 
just  as  the  Indians  had  left.  The  long  marches  compelled 
hira  to  halt  at  this  point  for  three  or  four  days,  to  rest 
his  men  and  replenish  his  supplies.  This  gave  the  Indians 
a  considerable  start,  of  which,  however,  they  took  only  a 
leisurely  advantage.  Their  route  lay  across  the  Yellow- 
stone Park,  which  they  entered  by  Targhee  Pass,  and  on 
the  night  of  August  23d  they  encamped  on  the  Firehole 
River,  within  the  Park  boundaries,  a  short  distance 
from  where  we  left  the  Radersburg  tourists,  and  less  than 
twenty  miles  from  the  camp  of  the  Helena  party.  The 
interest  of  the  campaign  for  the  next  week  centers  chiefly 
upon  the  fortunes  of  these  unlucky  excursionists.  An 
account  of  their  adventures  will  be  given  in  the  chapters 
immediately  following. 

Just  as  the  Indians  went  into  camp  on  the  night  of 
August  23d,  their  first  day  in  the  Park,  they  captured  one 
Shively  who  was  on  his  way  to  Montana  from  the  Black 
Hills.  As  Shively  professed  to  know  the  country,  whicli 
the  Xoz  Perces  had  never  seen  before,  they  impressed  him 
into  their  service  as  guide.  He  was  with  them  thirteen 
days  and  claims  to  have  served  them  faithfully,  as  well 
as  to  have  received  fair  treatment  from  them.  x\t  any 
rate  he  won  their  confidence  by  his  behavior,  and  was 
watched  so  carelessly  that  he  escaped  one  dark  night  just 
as  the  Indians  were  crossing  the  northeast  boundar}'  of 
the  Park. 


148  THE    YELLOWSTONE    NATIONAL    PARK. 

On  the  24tii  of  August  the  Indians,  under  Joseph, 
moved  to  the  Yellowstone  Eiver  at  the  site  of  the  ford 
near  Mud  Geyser.  Here  they  remained  during  the  25th. 
On  the  following  day  the  bulk  of  the  command  crossed 
the  river,  ascended  its  right  bank  to  the  lake,  and  took  the 
Pelican  Creek  trail  for  the  Lamar  River  valley  in  the 
northeast  comer  of  the  Park.  A  small  party  of  marau- 
ders separated  from  the  main  body  at  Mud  Geyser, 
descended  the  Yellowstone  by  the  Mt.  Washburn  trail,  at- 
tacked the  Helena  tourist  party  on  their  way,  killing  one 
man,  burned  and  partially  destroyed  Baronett  bridge  near 
the  junction  of  the  Yellowstone  and  Lamar  Elvers,  made 
a  raid  upon  Mammoth  Hot  Springs,  killing  one  man  there, 
and  went  down  the  valley  as  far  as  Henderson's  Eanch, 
where  Cinnabar  now  stands.  Here  they  committed  numer- 
ous depredations,  stole  a  number  of  horses,  and  then  re- 
turned without  having  suffered  any  loss  whatever. 

Chief  Joseph  and  his  followers  left  the  Park  by  way 
of  Miller  Creek.  Their  natural  route  would  have  been  by 
Soda  Butte  Creek  and  Clark's  Fork ;  but  they  had  learned, 
probably  through  Shively,  that  there  was  a  large  party  of 
miners  in  the  section  where  Cooke  City  now  stands,  and 
they  feared  that  they  might  encounter  some  opposition 
there. 

As  soon  as  the  command  at  Henry  Lake  had  become 
recuperated,  the  pursuit  was  vigorously  resumed.  Howard 
followed  in  the  track  of  the  Indians  as  far  as  to  the  ford 
of  the  Yellowstone;  but  instead  of  crossing  at  this  point, 
he  descended  the  river  by  the  left  bank  to  the  site  of  Baron- 
ett's  celebrated  first  bridge  over  the  Yellowstone.  The 
bridge  was  found  partially  destroyed  by  the  Indians  and 
had  to  be  repaired,  after  which  the  line  of  march  was 
continued  up  the  Lamar  and  Soda  Butte  Valleys,  ajid 
across  the  divide  to  the  valley  of  Clark's  Pork. 


AN  INDIAN  campaign:  THROUGH  THE  PARK.  149 

The  authorities  had  been  widely  warned  of  the  probable 
route  of  the  Indians  and  were  lying  in  wait  to  intercept 
them.  Gen.  Sturgis  expected  to  do  this  as  they  emerged 
from  the  Absaroka  Mountains;  but  unfortunately  he  sta- 
tioned himself  in  the  wrong  pass  and  left  the  one  which 
the  Indians  took  unguarded.  By  this  loss  of  time  he  fell 
in  behind  both  the  Indians  and  Howard,  who  was  now  in 
close  pursuit.  The  Indians  crossed  the  Yellowstone,  Sep- 
tember 12th.  Here  Sturgis  ov^ertook  them  with  a  com- 
pany of  cavalry  and  a  slight  conflict  ensued.  The  Indians 
then  struck  north,  apparently  for  the  British  line.  On 
September  23d  they  crossed  the  Missouri  at  Cow  Island 
and  resumed  their  march  north.  But  they  were  inter- 
cepted by  General  Miles  in  the  Bear  Paw  Mountains  and 
a  severe  fight  followed,  at  the  northern  base  of  the  range 
on  Snake  Creek,  less  than  thirty  miles  from  the  boundary. 
The  Indians  were  defeated  and  Looking  Glass  was  killed. 
Most  of  the  survivors  surrendered  unconditionally,  and 
the  rest  escaped  across  the  line.  This  was  on  October  5, 
1877. 

Since  the  first  outbreak,  June  13th,  three  months  and 
twenty-two  days  had  elapsed.  The  flight  and  pursuit  liad 
extended  over  1,500  miles.  There  had  been  no  fewer  than 
fifteen  engagements.  The  whites  had  lost  6  officers  and 
121  soldiers  and  citizens  killed,  and  13  officers  and  127 
soldiers  and  citizens  wounded.  A  large  part  of  the  Inc?ian 
losses  could  never  be  ascertained,  but  their  known  losses 
were  151  killed,  88  wounded  and  489  captured. 

This  celebrated  campaign  is  well  intended  to  elicit  the 
fullest  sympathy  for  the  unfortunate  Xez  Perces.  A  vast 
deal  of  sentiment  has  been  wasted  upon  the  cause  of  the 
red  man.  Opinions  have  ranged  from  the  extreme  views 
of  Catlin,  who  could  see  no  wrong  in  the  Indian,  to  those 


150  THE    YELLOWSTONE   NATIONAL   PARK. 

of  the  rabid  frontiersman  whose  creed  was  "no  good  Indian 
but  a  dead  one/^  But,  if  there  ever  was  a  case  where  sym- 
pathy might  well  incline  to  the  side  of  the  Indian,  it  is 
the  one  under  consideration. 

The  Xez  Perces  had  always  been  friendly  to  the  whites, 
and  it  was  their  boast  that  they  had  never  slain  a  white 
man.  They  were  intelligent,  brave,  and  humane.  In  this 
campaign  they  bought  supplies  which  they  might  have  con- 
fiscated; they  saved  property  which  they  might  have  de- 
stroyed; they  spared  hundreds  of  lives  which  other  Indians 
would  have  sacrificed.  If  some  of  the  more  lawless  ele- 
ment committed  various  outrages,  they  might  justly  reply 
that  the  whites  had  fired  into  their  tents  where  their 
women  and  children  were  sleeping.  In  short,,  their  con- 
duct in  this  campaign  places  them  in  all  respects 
nearer  the  standard  of  civilized  people  than  any  other  of 
the  native  tribes  of  the  continent. 

In  estimating  the  causes  that  led  to  the  war,  history 
can  not  fail  to  establish  that  the  Indians  were  in  the  right. 
It  was  a  last  desperate  stand  against  the  inevitable  destiny 
which  was  robbing  the  Indian  of  his  empire^  a  final  protest 
against  the  intolerable  encroachments  of  the  pale  face.  In 
defense  of  this  principle,  the  Xez  Perces  staked  their  all 
on  a  single  throw.  They  lost,  and  were  irretrievably  ruined. 
They  were  transported  to  a  distant  territory,  and  the  land 
of  "their  fathers  they  saw  no  more.* 

The  campaign  of  1877  was  the  only  one  in  which  tour- 
ists of  the  National  Park  were  ever  subjected  to  serious 


•  After  the  surrender,  Joseph  and  a  few  of  his  followers 
were  sent  to  Fort  Leavenworth,  where  they  remained  until 
July,  1878,  when  they  were  taken  to  the  Indian  Territory. 
After  languishing  here  for  seven  years,  they  were  established 
on  the  Colville  Reservation  in  Washington. 


AN  INDIAN  CAMPAIGN  THROUGH  THE  PARK.  151 

danger  from  the  Indians.*  It  has  left  its  mark  indeliljly 
upon  the  Park.  "Xez  Perce  Creek"  will  always  remind 
the  traveler  of  the  terrible  danger  in  which  anotlier  party 
of  tourists  was  once  placed  upon  the  borders  of  that 
stream.  "Howard's  TraiF'  will  not  soon  be  effaced  from 
the  forests  and  mountains  where  Captain  Spurgin,  witii 
brilliant  expedition,  built  the  first  passable  highway 
through  that  tangled  wilderness. 


*  In  1878,  there  was  a  slight  alarm  in  the  Park  caused  by 
an  ephemeral  raid  of  the  Bannock  Indians;  but,  beyond  the 
loss  of  a  few  horses,  no  damage  was  done. 


CHAPTER  XYI. 

THE  NEZ  PERCES  AND  THE  RADERSBURG  TOURISTS. 

Going  back  to  the  morning  of  August  24,  when  Chief 
Joseph  and  his  people  arrived  in  the  Lower  Ge^'ser  Basin, 
we  will  record  the  experience  of  the  two  parties  of  tourists 
to  whom  allusion  was  made  in  the  previous  chapter.  The 
Radersburg  tourists  were  encamped  about  half  a  mile  west 
of  the  Fountain  Geyser  in  a  fringe  of  trees  along  the  left 
bank  of  a  small  stream.  This  had  been  their  permanent 
camp  from  which  they  had  made  excursions  to  the  Upper 
Basin,  the  Lake  and  the  Canon.  Arnold  and  Dingee  had 
arisen  before  sunrise  to  make  a  fire  and  prepare  breakfast, 
for  the  party  were  to  start  home  that  morning.  Soon 
after,  Mrs.  Cowan  aroused  her  husband  and  told  him  there 
were  Indians  outside.  Mr.  Cowan  peered  through  the  flap 
of  the  tent  and  saw  that  it  was  indeed  so.  Hastily  dress- 
ing, he  went  out  and  commenced  talking  with  an  Indian 
called  Charley,  who  spoke  English  well — a  tall,  slender 
Indian,  with  a  long,  but  not  bad-looking  face.  Charley 
pretended  that  the  Indians  were  Flatheads,  but  a  little 
questioning  drew  out  the  fact  that  they  were  Xez  Perces. 
As  it  was  known  that  these  Indians  were  on  the  warpath, 
Mr.  Cowan  at  once  realized  the  gravity  of  the  situation  in 
which  his  little  party  were  placed. 

Charley  pretended  that  he  belonged  to  L<X)king  Glass' 
band,  who,  he  said,  were  friendly;  and  that  the  hostiles, 
under  Chief  Joseph,  were  "two  sleeps^'  in  rear.  Cowan  told 
him  where  he  was  from  and  that  his  party  were  just  about 


THE  NEZ  PERCES  AND  THE  RADERSBURG  TOURISTS.       Ibti 

to  start  home.  Charley  replied  that  it  would  not  be  safe 
to  go  back  for  he  would  meet  Joseph's  men,  who  would  kill 
the  entire  party.  Ijooking  Glass,  he  said,  was  en  route  to 
the  Yellowstone  buffalo  country,  and  it  would  be  better 
to  go  along  with  that  chief.  Cowan  told  him  that  he  could 
not  go  that  way,  and  that  he  would  take  his  chances  with 
Chief  Joseph's  men.  Just  at  that  moment  he  saw  a  number 
of  Indians  crowding  around  the  baggage  wagon  and  Arnold 
on  the  point  of  handing  them  out  supplies.  He  promptly 
elbowed  his  way  through  the  crowd  and  ordered  Arnold 
not  to  give  away  any  of  the  provisions.  This  vigorous 
action  incensed  the  Indians,  and  probably  accounts  for 
their  persistent  efforts  to  kill  Cowan  later  in  the  day. 

By  this  time  the  Indians  had  collected  in  large  numbers 
and  Cowan  became  thoroughly  alarmed.  He  ordered  the 
teams  hitched  up  and  camp  to  be  broken  at  once.  Every- 
thing was  soon  ready.  There  was  a  double-seated  cov- 
ered spring  wagon,  and  a  half  spring  baggage  wagon- 
Such  of  the  party  as  could  not  find  seats  in  the  wagons 
rode  saddle  horses.  Cowan  ordered  the  drivers  to  pull  out, 
and  he  himself  mounted  his  horse  and  rode  alonfrside  the 
wagon  in  which  his  wife  was  seated.  The  two  women  were 
crying,  for  the  situation  seemed  to  them  hopeless.  The 
stait  was  made  and  the  little  stream  crossed,  when  the 
wagons  came  to  an  abrupt  stop.  Directly  in  front  was  a 
line  of  mounted  warriors,  like  a  platoon  of  cavalry,  with 
guns  against  the  thigh  as  if  ready  for  action,  completely 
blocking  the  way. 

To  this  time  Cowan  had  believed  what  Charley  had 
told  him  about  the  chiefs — that  Looking  Glass  was  ahead 
and  Joseph  some  distance  back.  Charley  had  tried  to  get 
Cowan  to  go  on  ahead,  saying  that  Looking  Glass  want^xl 
to  see  him;  but  Cowan  had  refused.     Carpenter  did  go 


154  THE    YELLOWSTONE    NATIONAL    PARK. 

on  until  he  discovered  the  ruse,  and  did  not  rejoin  the 
party  for  an  hour  or  so  after. 

When  Cowan  saw  his  way  barricaded  he  demanded  of 
Charley  the  cause,  and  insisted,  with  considerable  vehem- 
ence, that  the  Indians  must  get  out  of  his  way.  Charley 
smiled  with  a  satisfied  air,  but  made  no  reply.  Cowan 
repeated  his  demand.  Just  then  an  Indian  approached 
from  the  rear,  put  up  his  hand,  gave  some  command  in 
the  native  tongue,  and  the  Indians  lowered  their  guns. 
Cowan  thought  that  this  must  be  some  chief  of  authority 
and  promptly  addressed  his  demand  to  him.  Tliis  Indian, 
also  smiling  and  pleasant,  looked  Cowan  straight  in  the 
eye,  but  said  nothing.  Cowan  pressed  his  demand,  where- 
upon Looking  Glass  (for  it  was  this  chief)  pointed  back- 
ward with  the  thumb  of  his  left  hand  to  an  Indian  a  little 
to  his  left  and  rear,  and  said  in  a  heavy,  dignified  tone: 
^'^Him,  Joseph!" 

Here,  then,  was  a  situation.  Cowan  was  ^^up  against'' 
Chief  Joseph  himself,  and  Looking  Glass  and  the  whole 
Nez  Perce  army.  Joseph  was  painted  in  vermilion,  but 
Looking  Glass  not.  Joseph  was  the  better  looking  man 
of  the  two.  Cowan  did  not  hesitate,  but  carried  his  peti- 
tion promptly  and  unfalteringly  to  the  throne  itself. 
Joseph  looked  him  straight  in  the  eye,  but  never  deigned 
a  word.  Charley  then  came  up  and  said  to  Cowan :  "Look 
here,  now;  we^re  going  to  take  your  party  right  along." 
Cowan  protested,  but  Charley  made  no  reply  except  to 
order  the  party  to  move  on.* 

Forced  to  accompany  the  army  of  Chief  Joseph,  the  hap- 
less party  felt  that  their  hopes  of  escape  were  slender  and 


•  While  talking  with  Charley  before  breaking  camp,  the 
Fountain  Geyser  played.  Charley  pointed  toward  it  and  said 
to  Cowan:     "What  makes  thai?" 


THE  NEZ  PERCES  AND  THE  RADERSBURG  TOURISTS.      155 

that  they  would  all  be  massacred  at  the  first  favorable  op- 
portunity. They  were  wretchedly  armed  and  could  offer 
no  effective  resistance.  They  moved  on  up  the  valley  of 
"N'ez  Perce  Creek,  and  when  about  a  mile  and  a  half  above 
the  present  bridge  were  stopped  by  the  timber.  Charley 
ordered  the  wagons  abandoned,  and  the  passengers  to 
mount  the  horses.  The  provisions  were  all  confiscated  and 
the  spokes  cut  out  of  the  wheels  of  the  spring  wagon. 
Charley  rushed  matters  and  in  a  little  while  the  party 
were  again  on  their  way. 

Nothing  of  importance  transpired  on  the  march  up  Nez 
Perce  Creek,  and  the  noon  camp  of  the  Indians  was 
reached  in  a  beautiful  spot  in  the  edge  of  the  timber  at 
the  foot  of  Mary  Mountain.  The  party  were  ordered  to 
dismount.  Off  a  little  to  one  side  were  the  squaws  pre- 
paring something  to  eat.  The  chiefs  and  some  other  prin- 
cipal men  were  seated  in  a  hall  circle  in  a  lovely  little 
grass-covered  opening  among  the  trees  and  it  was  evident 
that  a  council  was  to  be  held  to  decide  the  fate  of  the 
party.  In  fact,  the  council  commenced  at  once,  an  Indian 
by  the  name  of  Poker  Poe  acting  as  spokesman  for  the 
chiefs,  who  could  not  speak  English.  Cowan  answered  for 
his  party. 

Poker  Joe  opened  up  by  asking  several  questions  about 
where  the  party  were  from,  the  purpose  of  their  visit  and 
where  they  desired  to  go.  He  said  that  he  had  known 
Cowan's  wife  and  sister  and  their  brother,  Carpenter, 
whom  he  had  often  seen  at  the  Spokane  House  fifteen 
miles  southeast  of  Helena,  near  the  old  trail  by  which  his 
people  went  to  the  buffalo  country  in  the  Judith  Basin. 
He  spoke  of  the  battle  of  the  Bighole,  where  they  had  lost 
many  warriors,  and  even  women  and  children.  He  said 
their  men  were  very  angry  and  thirsty  for  revenge,  but 


156  THE    YELLOWSTONE    NATIONAL    PARK. 

that  it  was  not  their  desire  to  injure  Montana  people,  but 
only  Lewiston  soldiers.  They  were  in  need  of  guns  and 
horses  and  all  kinds  of  supplies.  The  chiefs  had  decided 
to  take  the  horses  and  firearms  of  the  party,  and  give  them 
broken  down  horses  and  let  them  go  home.  This  was  their 
only  salvation;  otherwise  all  would  be  killed. 

To  this  deliberate  ultimatum  there  was  evidently  only 
one  reply — acceptance.  Resistance  was  utterly  out  of  the 
question.  The  proposition  of  the  chiefs  gave  at  least  a 
hope,  slender  though  it  was,  and  after  consultation  with 
his  party^  Cowan  gave  his  consent. 

The  council  at  once  broke  up  and  the  Indians  made  a 
rush  for  the  confiscated  outfit.  Cowan's  horse  fell  to  Poker 
Joe,  who  was  thrown  to  the  ground  by  the  angry  animal 
in  attempting  to  mount  him  from  the  right  side.  Poker 
Joe  then  made  a  circuit  of  the  camp,  calling  out  some 
command  in  the  Indian  tongue.  The  squaws  immediately 
commenced  packing  up.  A  few  minutes  later  he  repeated 
the  command,  and  then  a  third  time,  after  the  same  inter- 
val. The  whole  camp  then  moved  up  the  trail.  Poker  Joe 
told  the  captives  that  they  were  free  and  directed  them  to 
take  the  back  trail.  They  started  back  entirely  alone.  To 
this  time  they  had  not  suffered  the  slightest  indignity  from 
the  Indians. 

After  retreating  some  three-quarters  of  a  mile,  a  party 
of  about  seventy-five  Indians  came  galloping  back  uttering 
vvarwhoops,  and  evidently  bent  upon  mischief.  They  or- 
dered the  little  party  to  stop,  and  Charley  (who  again  ap- 
pears on  the  scene)  asked,  in  apparent  anger,  what  had 
become  of  two  of  the  men  who  had  discreetly  taken  to  the 
brush.  Cowan  replied  that  he  did  not  know  before  that 
they  were  gone.  After  a  little  delay  the  party  were  coun- 
termarched and  taken  back  up  the  trail.     It  was  evident 


THE  NEZ  PEKCES  AND  THE  RADERSBURQ  TOURISTS.       157 

that  their  situation  was  now  a  desperate  one.  An  occa- 
sional stop  was  made  to  give  the  Indians  time  for  consul- 
tation. The  party  proceeded  back  past  the  council  ground 
and  perhaps  thrc^-quarters  of  a  mile  beyond,  w^hen  two 
Indians  were  sent  on  in  great  haste,  with  the  probable 
purpose  of  finding  out  if  the  chiefs  were  at  a  safe  distance 
ahead.  A  few  minutes  later,  as  the  party  were  passing 
over  a  little  knoll,  these  two  Indians  came  riding  back  at 
full  speed.  Seeing  the  party  they  stopped,  and  one  of  the 
Indians  fired  at  Mr.  Cowan,  striking  him  in  the  right 
thigh.  The  firing  then  became  general  and  the  party 
scattered  into  the  woods.  Carpenter  and  his  two  sisters 
were  taken  prisoners.  Carpenter^s  life  was  saved  by  an 
involuntary  act  which  has  won  for  him  the  undeserved 
credit  of  showing  great  presence  of  mind.  An  Indian  lev- 
eled his  gun  at  him,  when  Carpenter,  believing  that  his 
time  had  come,  made  a  sign  of  the  cross.  The  religious 
nature  of  the  Indian*  instantly  responded  to  the  familiar 
movement,  and  he  dropped  his  gun  and  told  Carpenter 
that  he  would  save  him. 

When  Cowan  was  shot  he  slid  from  his  horse,  but  his 
leg  was  paralyzed  and  he  fell  upon  the  steep  side  hill  and 
rolled  down  against  a  log.  ^Mrs.  Cowan  instantly  leaped 
from  her  horse,  ran  to  her  husband's  side,  enveloped  his 
head  in  her  arms,  and  tried  to  baffle  the  efforts  of  the  In- 
dians to  kill  him.  The  Indians  tried  to  pull  her  away,  but 
she  resisted  strenuously,  begging  them  to  kill  her  instead. 
Cowan  himself  held  fast  to  her,  preferring  that  she  be 
killed  there  with  him  than  be  left  to  the  mercy  of  the  sav- 
ages. Charley  then  came  up,  asked  where  Cowan's  wound 
was,  and  seeing  that  it  was  not  fatal,  made  a  desperate 

*  The  Nez  Perces  had  been  for  nearly  fifty  years  devout  fol- 
lowers of  the  Catholic  Church, 


158  THE    YELLOWSTONE    NATIONAL    PARK. 

effort  to  get  a  shot  at  his  head,  but  Mrs.  Cowan  was  too 
alert  for  him.  Finally,  Charley  drew  Mrs.  Cowan  back 
and  another  Indian  held  a  pistol  almost  in  Cowan's  eyes 
and  fired.  Mrs.  Cowan  was  pulled  away,  and  with  her 
brother  and  sister  was  taken  along  with  the  Indians.  Some 
stones  were  thrown  upon  Cowan's  head,  and  he  was  then 
left  for  dead. 

Singularly  enough,  neither  the  bullet  wounds  nor  the 
blows  from  the  stones  had  been  fatal  to  Mr.  Cowan  and  he 
presently  recovered  consciousness.  The  attack  had  taken 
place  about  2  ;30  p.  M.,  and  when  he  opened  his  eyes  the 
sun  was  just  dropping  below  the  western  hills.  He  recalled 
what  had  happened,  examined  himself,  made  up  his  mind 
that  there  was  abundant  hope  yet,  and  concluded  to  save 
himself  if  he  could.  He  drew  himself  up  by  the  branch  of 
a  tree,  when,  lo !  a  little  way  off,  he  saw  a  mounted  Indian 
in  the  act  of  drawing  his  rifle  to  fire  at  him.  Cowan  tried 
to  get  away,  but  the  Indian  dismounted  and  fired  and 
struck  him  in  the  back.  He  fell  to  the  ground  and  mo- 
mentarily expected  the  Indian  to  come  up  and  dispatch 
him,  but  for  some  reason  he  did  not  come. 

After  waiting  awhile,  and  seeing  no  other  Indians,  Mr. 
Cowan  commenced  a  pilgrimage  on  his  knees  which  con- 
tinued for  several  days  and  probably  has  no  parallel  in 
history.  He  was  wholly  without  food,  with  three  bullet 
wounds  and  dangerous  bruises  on  his  person,  and  in  a  trail 
that  was  still  thronging  with  hostile  Indians.  He  crawled 
along  on  the  back  trail  in  a  bright  moonlight  until  about 
midnight,  when  he  thought  he  saw  something.  Stopping 
and  looking  closely,  he  saw  an  Indian  rise  up  from  his 
sleep,  look  around  and  then  lie  down  again.  Cowan  re- 
treated as  noiselessly  as  possible,  made  a  wide  detour,  and 
resumed  his  course.     He  next  passed  a  bunch  of  broken 


THE  NEZ  PERCES  AND  THE  RADERSBURO  TOURISTS.       lo9 

down  Xez  Perce  horseS;,  which  has  been  abandoned.  Ho 
would  have  caught  one,  but  there  was  no  bridle  and  it  was 
doubtful  if  he  could  have  ridden.  It  was  not  until  noon  of 
the  following  day  that  he  reached  a  creek  crossing  and 
found  plenty  of  water. 

At  this  snail  pace  Cowan  kept  on  day  after  day.  One 
morning,  about  nine  oY^lock,  he  heard  Indians  again.  Ly- 
ing low  behind  a  tree  he  watched  and  listened,  and  pres- 
ently saw  a  body  of  about  seventy-five  Indians  passing  up 
the  valley.  He  thought  he  saw  a  white  man  among  them, 
but  was  not  certain.  It  was^  in  fact,  a  company  of  friendly 
Bannock  scouts  on  the  trail  of  the  i^ez  Perces,  under  the 
command  of  an  army  officer.  But  Cowman  did  not  know 
and  it  would  not  do  to  run  any  risk. 

The  day  after  this  event  he  reached  the  abandoned 
wagons.  There  w^as  nothing  to  be  found  there  in  the  shape 
of  food,  but  he  did  find  a  bird  dog  that  belonged  to  the 
party.  The  dog  had  probably  been  there  ever  since  the 
v/agons  WTre  abandoned.  At  the  first  sight  of  Cowan  she 
rushed  at  him  fiercely,  but  suddenly  recognizing  him,  her 
fury  changed  and  she  pawed  and  caressed  him  in  a  par- 
oxysm of  joy. 

Cowan  next  made  his  painful  w^ay  to  the  old  camp, 
where  he  found  about  a  dozen  matches  and  a  little  coffee 
scattered  on  the  ground.  With  an  old  fruit  can  he  suc- 
ceeded, after  much  difficulty,  in  making  some  coffee — the 
first  thing  he  had  had  in  the  way  of  nourishment  since 
he  was  shot.  Remaining  there  over  night,  he  started  for 
the  valley  of  iJs'ez  Perce  Creek,  because  he  would  there  be 
more  in  the  route  of  any  force  that  might  be  following  the 
Indians.  When  nearing  a  point  which  he  had  selected  for 
his  permanent  bivouac,  he  discovered  two  horsemen  on  the 
edge  of  some  timber  and  presently  distinguished  that  they 


160  TPTE    YELLOWSTOXE    NATIONAL    PARK. 

were  white  men.  He  signaled  and  they  approached,  in- 
quiring in  much  astonishment,  ^'Who  in  h — 1  are  you?'' 
Cowan  gave  them  his  name  and  they  replied  that  they  had 
expected  to  bury  him  that  day.  They  had  met  Oldham 
and  Meyers,  who  had  told  them  that  Cowan  was  dead. 
I'he  two  men  were  scouts  from  Howard's  command.  They 
fixed  Cowan  up  as  well  as  they  could,  built  him  a  large 
fire,  left  him  food  to  last  till  Howard  should  come,  and 
then  went  on  their  way. 

Cowan  dropped  asleep,  but  soon  fell  into  another  peril 
which  came  near  proving  fatal.  The  ground  on  wdiich  he 
was  lying  was  full  of  vegetable  mould,  very  dry  at  that  sea- 
son of  the  year,  and  the  fire  burrowed  through  it  with 
facihty.  Cowan  was  awakened  by  the  heat  and  found  him- 
self completely  surrounded  by  fire.  With  great  difficulty 
and  severe  burns,  he  extricated  himself  from  this  new 
danger. 

Howard  and  his  command  came  along  on  the  afternoon 
of  August  30th,  and  went  into  camp  half  a  mile  above 
the  present  bridge  over  ^ez  Perce  Creek.  He  named  tliis 
camp  **Camp  Cowan.''  He  brought  news  of  the  safety  of 
Mrs.  Cowan  and  her  sister  and  brother.  Cowan  was  given 
surgical  attendance,  and  when  camp  moved  was  carried 
in  one  of  the  wagons.  He  accompanied  General  Howard's 
command  as  far  as  to  Mud  Geyser,  and  was  then  entrusted 
to  the  wagon  train  in  charge  of  Captain  Spurgin.  After 
many  delays  and  great  suffering,  he  reached  Bottler's  ranch 
about  twenty-five  miles  north  of  the  Park,  a  great  stopping 
place  in  those  days.  Here  the  military  left  him  to  await 
the  arrival  of  friends. 

Mrs.  Cowan  in  the  meanwhile  had  returned  home.  She 
remained  there  but  one  day,  when  she  went  to  her  father's 
house  some  twenty  miles  distant  and  there  received  news 


The  nez  perces  and  the  radersburg  tourists.     161 

of  Mr.  Cowan's  safety.  She  at  once  went  to  Helena  to 
learn  Ijy  telegraph  where  he  was,  and  then  went  by  stage  to 
Bozernan,  where  she  procured  a  suitable  conveyance  and 
started  for  Bottler's  ranch.  The  day  after  her  arrival  they 
.set  out  on  the  return  journey  to  Bozeman,  Mr.  Cowan  lying 
on  a  bed  in  the  bottom  of  the  w^agon.  The  route  lay 
across  the  Trail  Creek  divide  between  the  Yellowstone  and 
Gallatin  liivers.  When  near  the  top  of  liis  divide,  and 
going  down  a  steep  hill,  the  neck  yoke  broke,  the  team  ran, 
and  the  wagon  was  overturned  down  the  mountain  side. 
Only  the  generous  supply  of  bedding  on  which  'Mr.  Cowan 
was  lying  saved  him  from  serious  injurv'.  By  good  luck 
a  man  on  horseback  happened  along  just  then.  Arnold 
impressed  the  horse,  made  a  forced  ride  to  Fort  Ellis, 
secured  an  ambulance,  and  the  journey  was  thus  completed 
to  Bozeman.  Cowan  was  taken  at  once  to  a  hotel,  where 
he  remained  until  well  enough  to  return  home. 

The  fatality  which  seemed  to  pursue  Mr.  Cowan  did 
not  yet  desert  him,  but  now  began  to  assume  a  ludicrous 
phase.  As  soon  as  his  presence  at  the  hotel  became  known, 
friends  and  others  rushed  in  to  see  him  and  tender  their 
congratulations.  They  gathered  around  his  bed  and  so 
m^^ny  sat  down  upon  it  that  it  gave  away  and  fell  in  a 
wreck  on  the  lioor.  The  proprietor  jokingly  threatened 
to  expel  the  wounded  man,  as  he  could  not  afford  to  have 
such  a  Jonah  on  the  premises. 

Among  the  callers  upon  ^Ir.  Cowan  at  this  time  was  an 
importunate  minister  who  displayed  some  of  the  tactless 
ycal  which  occasionally  characterizes  members  of  the  cler- 
ical profession.  He  asked  many  questions,  which  Mr. 
Cowan,  in  his  exhausted  condition,  became  very  tired  of. 
Finally  he  said  with  impressive  gravity :  "Mr.  Cowan,  dur- 
ing all  this  time  that  you  were  crawling  along,  not  know- 
(7*) 


162  THE    YELLOWSTONE    NATIONAL    PARK. 

ing  that  you  would  ever  see  your  friends  again,  did  yon 
not  frequently  think  of  your  God  ?''  Mr.  Cowan's  patience 
was  gone,  and  he  replied  in  a  way  that  he  has  ever  since 
been  a  little  sorry  for:  "Xot  by  a  d — ^n  sight;  I  had  too 
many  other  things  to  think  of." 

The  experiences  of  Mrs.  Cowan  and  her  sister,  after  the 
events  of  August  2-4,  though  full  of  hardship  and  suffer- 
ing, were  not  at  any  time  a  matter  of  peril.  They  were 
treated  ^dth  respect  by  the  Indians.  A  council  was  held 
at  the  ford  of  the  Yellowstone  to  determine  their  fate, 
and  they  were  given  their  freedom.  Their  long  ride  to 
Bottler's  ranch  was  very  trj^ing,  but  they  accomplished  it 
successfullv.* 


♦  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Cowan  are  still  living  at  the  date  of  this 
writing  (1903),  They  have  made  several  tours  of  the  Park 
since  their  first  unhappy  visit.  In  1901  Mr.  Cowan  accom- 
panied the  writer  on  an  expedition  over  the  route  of  Joseph 
and  Howard  and  rendered  material  aid  in  identifying  the  more 
important  landmarks  of  the  campaign. 


CHAPTER  XVII. 

THE  NEZ  PERCES  AND  THE  HELENA  TOURISTS. 

The  party  of  Helena  tourists  in  camp  near  ,the  "Falls  of 
the  Yellowstone  on  the  night  of  August  24th,  were  less 
foi-tunate  than  the  Eadersburg  party.  On  the  morning  of 
the  25th,  they  started  up  the  river  toward  the  Mud  Geyser. 
They  had  gone  about  a  mile  beyond  Sulphur  Mountain 
when  they  discovered  moving  bodies  of  men,  part  of  whom 
were  fording  the  river.  Careful  scrutiny  showed  them  to 
be  Indians,  and  the  party  rightly  divined  that  they  must 
be  the  hostile  Xez  Perces.  They  hastily  retraced  their 
steps  and  went  into  camp  in  the  timber  near  the  forks  of 
Otter  Creek,  about  a  mile  and  a  half  from  the  Upper  Falls 
of  the  Yellowstone.  Here  they  remained  undisturbed  all 
day  and  the  following  night.  On  the  morning  of  the  26th. 
Weikert  and  Wilkie  set  out  to  scout  the  countr}^  They 
went  as  far  as  Sulphur  Mountain,  and  finding  ever}'thing 
clear,  started  back  to  camp  to  report.  Wlien  entering  the 
timber  just  north  of  Alum  Creek,  they  suddenly  met  a 
band  of  Indians  who  promptly  opened  fire  on  them.  A 
flight  and  pursuit  of  considerable  duration  ended  in  the 
escape  of  both  men;  but  not  until  Weikert  had  been 
wounded.  This  party  of  Indians  had  just  attacked  and 
dispersed  the  group  in  camp.  They  had  stolen  upon  the 
camp  as  dinner  was  being  prepared,  and  a  volley  of  mus.- 
ketry  was  the  first  warning  the  tourists  had  of  their  pres- 
ence. There  was  instant  flight,  and  most  of  the  party 
managed  to  get  away.  But  Kenck  was  soon  overtaken  and 
killed;  and  Stewart,  after  being  severely  wounded,  pre- 
vailed on  the  Indians  to  spare  his  life. 


164  THE   YELLOWSTONE    NATIONAL    PARK. 

Weikert  and  Wilkie,  who  had  hastened  back  to  camp 
after  their  own  encounter,  found  everything  in  confusion, 
and  all  the  party  gone.  They  soon  fell  in  with  several  of 
them,  and  together  they  set  out  for  Mammoth  Hot  Springs. 

And  now  began  another  series  of  wanderings  through 
the  trackless  wilderness  of  the  Park.  Two  of  the  party 
made  their  way  by  way  of  the  Madison  Eiver,  where  they 
were  given  food  by  soldiers,  to  Virginia  City  and  thence  to 
Helena.  The  rest  of  the  survivors,  after  much  hardship, 
reached  Mammoth  Hot  Springs,  and  soon  after  left  the 
Park  with  the  exception  of  Weikert,  Dietrich,  the  colored 
cook.  Stone,  and  a  man  named  Stpner. 

On  August  31st,  Weikert  and  one  McCartney,  owner  of 
the  first  hotel  ever  built  in  the  Park,  went  to  the  Falls  of 
the  Yellowstone  in  order,  if  possible,  to  learn  the  fate  of 
the  missing  members  of  the  party.  Shortly  after  their 
departure  from  the  Springs  a  band  of  Indians  prowled 
across  the  country  from  the  Yellowstone  to  the  Gardiner, 
and  went  down  the  latter  stream  as  far  as  Henderson's 
ranch  near  the  present  town  of  Cinnabar.  After  a  brief 
skirmish  and  a  general  pillage  here,  they  went  back  to 
Mammoth  Hot  Springs.  Stoner  and  the  colored  cook  fled 
precipitately,  but  Dietrich,  believing  the  Indians  to  be 
friendly  scouts,  remained  behind  and  was  shot  dead  in  the 
door  of  the  hotel.  Stone  made  a  lucky  escape  by  climbing 
a  tree,  and  his  subsequent  ludicrous  recital  of  his  expe- 
rience became  a  standin/g  jest  among  the  inhabitants  of 
the  Yellowstone. 

Weikert  and  McCartney  went  back  to  the  old  camp  on 
Otter  Creek,  where  they  buried  Kenck's  remains  and  gath- 
ered up  whatever  of  value  the  Indians  had  left.  On  their 
way  back,  when  near  the  falls  of  the  East  Gardiner,  they 
met  the  band  of  Indians  who  had  just  slain  Dietrich  at 


•'"-r  ...    * 


THE  NEZ  PERCES  AND  THE  HELENA  TOURISTS.         165 

Mammoth  Hot  Springs.  A  lively  skirmish  ensued,  in 
which  Weikert  lost  his  horse.  The  two  men  succeeded  in 
finding  refuge  in  some  neighboring  brushwood. 

Several  noteworthy  incidents  are  connected  with  this 
raid  of  the  Nez  Perces,  as  there  always  are  with  any  event 
where  human  life  is  at  stake  and  men  are  put  upon  their 
mettle  by  the  problem  of  self-preservation. 

The  camp  site  on  Otter  Creek  was  well  chosen  for  de- 
fense, but  its  natural  advantages  were  absolutely  ignored 
by  the  party.  It  was  a  triangular  knoll  between  the  forks 
of  the  stream,  and  some  twenty  feet  above  them.  It  com- 
manded every  approach,  and  with  the  slightest  vigilance 
and  intelligent  preparation,  could  have  been  made  impreg- 
nable to  the  eighteen  Indians  who  attacked  it.  But  while 
the  camp  was^  properly  pitched  in  a  little  depression  back 
of  the  crest,  the  men  themselves  all  staid  back  where  the 
view  around  them  was  entirely  cut  off.  They  kept  no 
guard,  and  were,  therefore,  in  a  worse  position  than  if 
actually  out  in  the  open  plain  below.  The  Indians  ap- 
proached under  cover  of  the  hill,  climbed  its  sides,  ani 
burst  over  its  crest  directly  into  camp  before  any  one  su  - 
pected  their  presence. 

"When  the  Helena  party  retreated  from  Sulphur  ^foun- 
tain, after  their  first  sight  of  the  Indians,  Kenck  wantel 
to  go  right  in  to  ^Mammoth  Hot  Springs,  instead  of  goin',^ 
into  camp  as  they  did  on  Otter  Creek.  He  even  refused  tos 
submit  to  the  decision  of  the  majority  and  started  back 
alone,  but  gave  it  up  and  rejoined  the  party.  Shortly  be- 
fore the  attack  occurred,  his  mind  full  of  foreboding,  he 
said  to  Stone,  the  colored  cook :  "Stone,  what  would  you  do 
if  the  Indians  should  jump  us?*'  Stone  replied:  "You 
take  care  of  yourself,  and  I'll  take  care  of  mine."  Scarcely 
were  the  words  out  of  his  mouth  when  the  Indians  did 


166  THE    YELLOWSTONE    NATIONAL    PARK. 

''jump"  the  camp.  Stone  took  care  of  himself,  as  he  had 
promised,  and  as  we  shall  presently  see,  but  poor  Kenck 
was  chased  to  a  hill  across  the  creek  and  there  slain. 

Stewart's  escape  was  due  to  an  impulse  of  mercy  or  in- 
dulgence very  rare  in  the  annals  of  Indian  warfare.  He 
was  hit  with  a  rifle  ball  in  the  first  rush  to  escape.  He 
fell  and  the  Indians  came  up  and  he  expected  to  be  dis- 
patched at  once.  He  begged  lustily  for  his  life  and  prom- 
ised to  give  the  Indians  everything  he  possessed — a  rather 
superfluous  generosity,  since  they  could  take  it  all  anyway. 
His  pleading  seemed  to  make  an  impression.  He  gave  them 
two  hundred  and  sixty  dollars  in  cash  and  his  gold  watch, 
and  they  let  him  go.  Just  after  they  left  he  saw  his  horse 
near  by.  The  animal  was  incorrigibly  wild  and  very  hard 
to  catch;  but  this  time  responded  at  once  to  its  master's-, 
voice  and  gave  himself  up  without  any  apparent  objection. 

\Yeikert's  and  McCartney's  brush  with  the  Indians  on 
the  slope  of  Mount  Everts  was  a  lively  affair  while  it 
lasted.  Both  men  spurred  their  horses  up  the  steep  side 
of  the  mountain  toward  some  underbrush,  the  Indian,; 
firing  thick  and  fast  all  the  time.  The  two  men  replied, 
but  not  very  effectively  at  the  speed  at  which  they  were 
going.  Suddenly  both  were  unhorsed.  Weikert's  horse 
was  shot  and  instantly  killed,  and  McCartney's  saddle 
slipped  back  and  turned  over  under  the  horse,  frightening 
him  and  causing  him  to  run  away.  The  mule  that  carried 
the  pack  was  abandoned  when  the  chase  began.  The  In- 
dians were  getting  very  close  when  the  two  men  reached 
cover,  but  then  abandoned  the  chase  and  themselves  took 
counsel  as  to  their  personal  safety. 

Once  during  their  flight  McCartney  looked  at  Weikert 
and  saw  that  he  was  pale  as  a  sheet.    He  said  to  Weikert^ 


THE  NEZ  PERCES  AND  THE  HELENA  TOURISTS.        167 

''Do  I  look  pale?''  "No,  do  1?"  McCartney  answered, 
"No." 

Just  how  Dietrich  happened  to  get  caught  as  he  did  is 
a  mystery.  He  was  a  music  teacher  from  Helena  and 
unused  to  roughing  it.  On  his  way  in  from  Otter  Creek 
he  became  utterly  exhausted  and  a  horse  had  to  be  sent 
back  several  miles  for  him.  When  Weikert  and  McCart- 
ney started  back  to  bury  Kenck,  McCartney  cautioned  him 
to  "look  out  for  his  hair.'"'  Dietrich  replied:  "Andy, 
[Weikert]  you  will  give  me  a  decent  burial,  won't  you?" 
Later  in  the  same  day  Indians  were  seen  approaching  the 
Springs.  They  went  on,  however,  to  Henderson's  ranch 
below  and  returned  the  following  day.  Tliis  time  they 
apparently  surprised  Dietrich  in  the  cabin,  which  still 
stands  in  the  gulch  west  of  Liberty  Cap,  and  shot  him  on 
the  door  steps.  The  soldiers  found  the  body  soon  after 
and  laid  it  in  the  cabin  on  the  floor.  It  was  buried  by 
Weikert  on  the  following  day.  Six  weeks  later  Weikert 
came  in  from  Helena  and  took  away  the  remains  of  both 
Kenck  and  Dietrich. 

Ben  Stone,  the  colored  cook,  no  longer  a  young  man, 
possessed  enough  of  the  quaint  humor  of  his  race  to  lend 
an  air  of  comicality  to  a  situation  which  more  than  ouee 
came  near  having  tragic  consequences.  When  the  Indians 
"jumped"  the  camp  on  Otter  Creek,  just  after  he  had  made 
his  laconic  reply  to  Kenck,  he  could  not  at  first  believe  it 
was  Indians,  but  thought  it  was  some  of  his  own  party  try- 
ing to  create  a  little  excitement.  He  called  out  to  them  to 
"stop  their  foolishness,"  for  they  might  kill  some  one,  and 
added,  "You  can't  scare  us."  A  moment  later  saw  liim  on 
a  lively  run  and  the  dinner  he  was  cooking  was  never  fin- 
ished. As  he  ran,  the  Indians  fired  several  shots  at  him. 
He  fell  into  a  creek  and  they  probably  thought  him  killed. 


168  THE    YELLOWSTONE    NATIONAL    PAEK. 

Later,  when  Weikert  overtook  him  on  the  trail  and  asked 
him  how  he  got  his  trousers  torn  so  (there  was  a  ragged 
rent  across  the  seat)  he  replied:  "Oh,  I  know  where  I  got 
that.  It  was  when  I  fell.  I  recollect  feeling  as  if  some- 
thing were  crawling  under  me  and  it  was  a  piece  of  lead." 

Stone  was  at  Mammoth  Hot  Springs  when  the  Indians 
raided  the  place.  He  retreated  up  the  gulch  hack  of  the 
McCartney  cabin,  the  Indians  in  pursuit,  and  taking  ad- 
vantage of  a  moment  when  a  turn  in  the  trail  concealed 
them  from  view,  shinned  up  a  tree  and  made  himself 
scarce  in  the  branches.  His  heart  beat  so  loud  that  he 
was  certain  the  Indians  would  hear  it.  One  of  them  did 
stop  directly  under  the  tree,  but  the  terrified  cook  prayed 
fervently  that  he  might  pass  on,  and  his  prayer  was 
answered. 

Weikert,  in  his  Journal,  records  that  Stone  remained  in 
the  tree  until  after  dark,  "when  he  slipped  down  and 
crawled  over  a  hill,  where  he  stayed  all  night  and  the  next 
da}',  when  he  again  ventured  out.  Ben  said,  Tive  times  I 
started  out  of  dem  bushes  and  five  times  I  went  back  again. 
Then  I  prayed  fervently  to  Almighty  God  to  deliver  me 
out  of  this  trouble,  and  he  did  take  me  out.'  A  bear  came 
to  see  him  while  he  was  in  the  brush  and  he  was  undecided 
what  to  do.  If  he  stayed  there  the  bear  would  be  apt  to 
eat  him,  and  if  he  came  out  the  Indians  would  be  likely  to 
kill  him;  but  he  finally  decided  in  favor  of  the  bear, 
because  he  had  tried  the  Indians  twice.  When  the  bear 
saw  him  it  stood  up  on  its  hind  feet  and  looked  at  him 
for  a  while  and  then  ran  away" 

The  poor  darkey  then  made  his  way  to  Henderson's 
ranch,  where  Lieutenant  Doane  was  in  camp  Tvith  a  com- 
pany of  scouts.  The  sentinel  challenged  him  (Stone's 
version) — "'Who  comes  dar?'     'Ben  Stone.'     'Come  in. 


THE  NEZ  PERCES  AND  THE  HELEXA  TOURISTS.         169 

Ben  stone;'  and  you  bet  I  come  a  runnin'/'  Two  of 
the  friendly  Indian  scouts  rushed  up  to  Stone  and  shook 
hands,  exclaiming,  "How,  how!"  Stone  was  again  panic 
stricken  and  declared  that  one  of  the  Indians  was  Chief 
Joseph  himself.  He  did  not  recover  his  composure  until 
AVcikert  and  McCartney  returned  to  camp. 

That  night  his  heart  was  so  full  of  gratitude  over  liis 
miraculous  escape  that  he  could  not  rest,  and  started  to 
spend  the  night  in  praying  aloud  and  thanking  God  for 
his  goodness.  The  rest  of  the  camp  became  weary  of  his 
devotions  after  a  while  and  asked  him  to  desist.  He  replied 
that  God  had  saved  his  life  and  he  was  going  to  thank 
Him  as  long  and  loud  as  he  liked,  whether  the  camp  got 
any  sleep  or  not.  Lieutenant  Doane  finally  stationed  a 
guard  to  compel  him  to  silence. 


(8) 


CHAPTER  XYIII. 

CAPTAIN  SPURGIN  AND  HIS  "SKILLETS/' 

One  of  the  interesting  features  of  General  Howard's 
pursuit  of  Chief  Joseph  across  the  Park  was  the  part 
taken  by  Captain  W.  F.  Spurgin,  Twenty-first  Infantry, 
who  was  engineer  officer  of  the  command.*  Before  start- 
ing on  his  long  pursuit.  General  Howard  organized  in 
Idaho  a  company  of  fifty-two  frontiersmen,  all  of  whom 
were  skilled  in  some  useful  kind  of  work.  They  were 
organized  as  a  company  of  engineers,  armed  as  infantry 
troops,  but  mounted  on  horses  furnished  by  themselves, 
and  were  paid  at  the  rate  of  three  dollars  a  day  and  their 
rations.  The  company  had  two  pontoon-boats,  all  necessar}' 
tools  and  supplies,  and  a  large  pack  train.  They  were  not 
designated  as  engineers,  though  doing  the  work  of  engineer 
troops,  but  as  "skilled  laborers.^'  This  long  name  was 
quickly  condensed  by  the  troops  into  "skillets.^'  The  com- 
pany started  out  every  morning  half  an  hour  after  the 

♦  "Captain  William  F.  Spurgin,  Twenty-first  Infantry.— This 
officer  performed  important  duty,  first  at  the  depot  in  Lewis- 
ton,  and  afterwards  on  the  field  in  command  of  the  Pioneer 
Company.  His  work  in  clearing  the  obstructed  trails  through 
the"  forests,  and  in  making  roads  practicable  for  his  bridge, 
wagons,  and  other  impedimenta,  over  precipitous  heights  and 
yawning  ravines,  was  often  arduous  in  the  extreme,  and  ac- 
complished with  extraordinary  quickness.  His  labors  were  of 
Buch  a  character  as  to  call  forth  energy,  determination  and 
skillful  adaptation  of  the  means  to  the  end.  All  these  quali- 
ties he  displayed  in  a  high  degree,  and  succeeded  in  instilling 
the  same  into  those  under  his  command."  Report  of  Gen.  O. 
0,  Howard  on  Nez  Perces  Campaign. 


CAPTAIN  SPURGIN  AND  HIS  "SKILLETS/'      171 

scouts>  and  about  an  hour  before  the  main  body.  Their 
duty  was  to  make  a  road  for  the  army,  and  it  involved  con- 
stant work,  great  activity,  and  called  forth  every  practical 
expedient  for  overcoming  difficulties  with  alacrity. 

After  the  Park  was  reached  these  difficulties  became  too 
great  to  open  the  road  as  fast  as  Howard  wished  to  move, 
and  on  the  second  day  the  army  passed  on  over  Mary 
Mountain,  leaving  Spurgin  and  the  train  to  follow  as  fast 
as  they  could.  The  Captain  made  the  prodigious  ascent 
of  the  mountain,  opening  a  road  through  the  timber,  and 
reached  the  ford  of  the  Yellowstone  very  soon  after 
Howard  did.  The  General  asked  him  how  many  wagons 
he  had  to  abandon,  and  was  greatly  pleased  to  learn  that 
all  had  gotten  through. 

Captain  Spurgin  crossed  to  the  right  bank  of  the 
Yellowstone  at  the  Mud  Geyser  Ford,  as  it  was  expected  to 
follow  the  Indians  up  the  Pelican  Valley.  But  at  this 
point  a  man  named  Irwin  came  into  camp,  who  had  just 
escaped  from  the  Indians,  and  the  information  he  brought 
induced  Gen^^ral  Howard  to  go  down  the  Yellowstone  by 
tlie  left  bank,  cross  at  Baronett  Bridge,  and  then  ascend 
the  Valley  of  Lamar  Eiver  until  he  should  strike  Joseph's 
trail  again.  As  the  countr}'  was  too  rough  for  the  wagons 
to  keep  up  they  were  placed  under  separate  escort,  and 
supplies  for  the  troops  were  carried  by  pack  train.  At 
Cascade  Creek  the  escort  was  ordered  to  join  Howard,  and 
the  train  was  put  under  charge  of  Captain  Spurgin,  ^^dtli 
orders  to  take  it  back  to  Fort  Ellis. 

It  was  on  tliis  part  of  the  route  from  Mud  Geyser  to 
Baronett  Bridge,  over  the  shoulder  of  Mt.  Washburn*, 
that  Captain  Spurgin  made  a  proud  record  for  himself  as 
an  officer  of  energy  and  resource,  and  left  traces  of  the 
campaign  through  the  Park  which  a  (quarter  of  a  century 


172  THE    YELLOWSTONE    NATIONAL    PARK. 

has  failed  to  eradicate.  There  are  evidences  of  the  old 
road  nearly  all  the  way.  The  high  wooded  hill  along  the 
river  west  of  the  present  road,  and  about  two  miles  above 
the  Upper  Falls  of  the  Yellowstone,  was  descended  by 
cutting  a  narrow  way  through  the  timber  and  letting  the 
wagons  straight  do^\^l,  holding  them  with  ropes  wound 
around  trees.  The  marks  on  the  trees  where  the  ropes 
burned  through  the  bark  are  still  (1903)  distinctly  visible. 
The  soldiers  called  this  place  "Spurgin's  Beaver  Slide." 
The  crossing  of  Cascade  Creek  also  can  still  be  identified. 

The  train  passed  through  Dunraven  Pass,  and  instead  of 
keeping  along  the  trail  dropped  down  into  the  valley  of 
Carnelian  Creek.  Thence  it  kept  on  to  Tower  Creek,  and 
crossed  the  latter  stream  about  a  mile  above  the  modern 
bridge.  The  traces  of  this  old  road  will  not  disappear, 
except  through  a  forest  fire,  for  centuries  to  come. 

While  descending  the  valley  of  Carnelian  Creek  the 
little  party  had  a  momentary  scare  that  created  something 
of  a  panic.  One  of  the  herders  rode  into  camp  in  hot  haste 
saying  that  a  large  body  of  Indians  was  coming  down  the 
trail  from  Dujiraven  Pass.  The  men  instantly  withdrew  a 
little  distance  from  the  train  and  took  up  a  defensive 
position,  where  they  waited  an  hour  or  so  until  all  danger 
had  passed.  It  developed  later  that  the  Indians  were 
friendly  scouts  under  Lieutenant  Doane. 

After  arriving  at  Baronett  Bridge,  and  when  the 
difficult  part  of  his  task  was  over.  Captain  Spurgin  decided 
to  take  with  him  only  sufficient  rations  to  carry  him  to 
Ellis,  and  send  all  the  rest  on  to  Howard  by  pack  train. 
The  circumstance  gave  rise  to  an  amusing  incident  worth 
recording.  There  were  three  garrulous  braggarts  among 
.Spurgin's  ^''skillets,''  wlio  were  always  vaunting  the  great 
exploits  and  the    wonderful    experiences    the^   had  gone 


CAPTAIN-  SPURGIN  AXD  HIS  ''''SKILLETS/'      173 

tlirough.  Tlie  night  of  the  arrival  at  Baronett  Bridge, 
Spurgin  overheard  them  in  camp  engaged  in  their  favorite 
pastime,  each  trying  to  outdo  the  other. 

One  of  them  related  that  when  he  crossed  the  plains  with 
his  father  years  before  they  found  the  game  all  gone,  and 
were  compelled  to  kill  their  horses  for  meat.  They  came 
to  like  this  food  almost  as  well  as  buffalo  meat. 

The  second  story  teller  declared  that  it  was  nothing  to 
have  to  live  on  horseflesh ;  that  he  had  often  been  reduced 
to  such  straits ;  and  on  one  occasion  had  actually  been  com- 
pelled to  live  on  rattlesnakes.  He  found  this  flesh  exceed- 
ingly palatable,  as  good  as  anything  he  ever  ate. 

Xumber  three  likewise  had  been  compelled  in  his  long 
experience  to  eat  everything  from  horses  to  snakes,  and 
other  reptiles  and  "varmints."  But  once  he  got  into  a 
country  where  he  could  find  absolutely  nothing.  It  was  on 
the  Blacktail  Deer  Creek,  not  ver}^  far  from  where  they 
then  were.  He  was  about  to  give  up  in  despair  when  all  of  a 
sudden  he  came  upon  a  herd  of  strange  wild  cattle  that 
weighed  all  the  way  from  1,200  to  1,800  pounds.  He 
pitched  his  camp  in  this  paradise,  which  had  so  suddenly 
sprung  up  in  the  desert,  and  reveled  in  abundance  for 
several  days. 

The  morning  following  this  wordy  contest  Captain 
Spurgin  called  these  men  to  his  tent,  told  them  his  plans, 
and  asked  them  how  many  days'  rations  they  thought  would 
be  barely  sufhcient  to  take  him  to  Ellis;  that  he  wanted  to 
send  all  the  rest  to  Howard.  The  horseflesh  eater  thought 
about  twenty  days'  rations  would  do.  The  rattlesnaJvc  man 
thought  it  best  to  make  it  twentj^-one.  The  hero  of  the 
wild  cattle  tale  "allowed"  that  it  would  require  twenty  or 
twenty-one.  Their  unanimity  of  opinion  was  striking,  and 
their   determination   to   have   plenty   to   eat   equally    so. 


174  THE    YELLOWSTONE    NATIONAL   PARK. 

Spurgin  told  them  that  he  should  take  only  seven  days^ 
rations.  They  threw  up  their  hands  in  horror  and  declared 
that  they  would  all  surely  starve.  "Well/^  said  the  Cap- 
tain, looking  at  number  one,  "if  worse  comes  to  worst  we 
can  kill  our  horses  and  eat  them."  The  man  replied  that 
their  horses  were  too  poor  to  make  suitable  meat.  "In 
that  case  we  can  fall  back  upon  rattlesnakes/^  suggested 
the  Captain.  "There  are  plenty  of  them  in  this  countr}', 
are  there  not?"  and  he  fixed  a  mischievous  eye  upon  the 
rattlesnake  man.  The  latter  promptly  replied  that  rattle- 
snakes did  not  flourish  in  such  high  altitudes.  "Well,  in 
any  event."  persisted  the  Captain,  turning  to  number 
three,  "we  will  kill  some  of  those  wild  cattle  on  the  Black- 
tail  that  weigh  from  1,200  to  1,800  pounds,  and  put  up 
meat  enough  to  last  us.  We  shall  have  to  do  something, 
for  I'm  going  to  take  only  seven  days'  rations." 

"We'd  better  see  wHo's  around  the  next  time  we  go 
to  blowing,"  said  the  wild  cattle  man  to  his  pals  as  they 
slunk  away  crestfallen  at  their  interview. 


Part  II —Descriptive 


CHAPTER  I. 

BOUNDARIES   AXD  TOPOGRAPHY. 

At  the  time  when  the  bill  creating  the  Yellowstone  Park 
was  before  Congress  there  had  been  no  detailed  survey  of 
that  region,  and  the  boundaries,  as  specified  in  the  bill, 
were  to  some  extent  random  guesses.  The  exploring 
parties  of  1870  and  1871  had  seen  all  the  more  important 
points  of  interest.  To  include  these  in  the  proposed 
reservation,  the  framers  of  the  bill  passed  two  lines  due 
east  and  west,  one  through  the  junction  of  the  Yellowstone 
and  Gardiner  Eivers,  and  one  through  a  point  ten  miles 
south  of  the  most  southerly  point  of  the  Yellowstone 
Lake;  and  two  lines  due  north  and  south,  one  through  a 
point  ten  miles  east  of  the  easternmost  point  of  Yellow- 
stone Lake,  and  one  through  a  point  fifteen  miles  west  of 
the  most  westerly  point  of  Shoshone  (then  called  Madison) 
Lake.  The  nearly  rectangular  area  thus  resulting  was 
found  to  lie  mainly  in  the  northwest  corner  of  Wyoming, 
with  narrow  strips,  two  or  three  miles  wide,  overlapping 
into  the  Territories  of  Montana  and  Idaho.  The  mean 
dimensions  of  the  Reservation  were  61.8  miles  by  53.6 
miles,  giving  an  area  of  3,312.5  square  miles. 

Under  Acts  of  Congress  approved  March  3,  1891,  and 
June  4,  1897,  authorizing  the  creation  of  forest  reserves 
and  the  modification  of  boundaries  of  reserves  already 
created,    several   such   creations  and   changes  have  been 


176  THE   YELLOWSTONE    NATIONAL   PARK. 

made  in  the  country  around  the  Park  during  the  past 
twelve  years.  There  are  at  present  two  such  reserves  on 
the  borders  of  the  Park — the  Yellowstone  Forest  Eeserve 
(proclamation  of  January  29,  1903),  which  is  a  consolida- 
tion, with  some  change,  of  the  reserves  previously  created 
east  and  south  of  the  Park;  and  the  Madison  Forest 
Keserve,  which  was  newly  created  by  proclamation  of 
August  16,  1902.  The  territory  thus  set  aside  covers  the 
entire  eastern  and  southern  boundaries  of  the  Park,  except 
that  portion  in  the  State  of  Idaho ;  and  limited  portions  of 
the  northern  and  western  boundaries.  The  approximate 
areas  reserved  are: 

The  Yellowstone  Eeserve,  13,070  square  miles. 

The  Madison  Eeserve,  1,270  square  miles. 

This  makes,  with  the  Park  proper,  a  total  area  reserved 
from  settlement  of  about  17,600  square  miles.* 

There  have  been  many  attempts  to  extend  the  Park 
boundaries  so  as  to  take  in  portions  of  the  surrounding 
country  now  embraced  in  the  forest  reserves,  particularly 
the  region  known  as  Jackson  Hole.  The  time  is  now  past, 
however,  when  this  can  be  accomplished  without  a  radical 

•  There  Is  an  exceedingly  Interesting  historical  reference 
to  this  region,  in  which  there  is  a  definition  of  boundaries 
which  does  great  credit  to  the  individual  who  made  it.  In  a 
letter  quoted  elsewhere,  the  distinguished  Jesuit  missionary, 
Father  DeSmet,  writing  in  1852,  makes  this  statement:  "I 
think  that  the  most  extraordinary  spot  in  this  respect  [natural 
wonders],  and  perhaps  the  most  marvelous  of  all  the  northern 
half  of  the  continent,  is  in  the  very  heart  of  the  Rocky  Moun- 
tains, between  the  43d  and  45th  degrees  of  latitude,  and  the 
109th  and  111th  degrees  of  longitude."  Let  the  reader  exam- 
ine a  map  of  Wyoming  on  which  are  represented  the  Yellow- 
stone Park  and  the  neighboring  forest  reserves,  and  note  how 
closely  their  combined  area  agrees  with  that  described  by 
Father  DeSmet. 


BOUNDARIES  AND  TOPOGRAPTTY.  Ill 

change  in  the  present  policy  of  governing  the  Park.  Set- 
tlement has  already  gained  a  foothold  in  the  surrounding 
reserves  which  it  would  be  difficult  to  uproot.  The  perma- 
nent exclusion  of-  railroads  from  all  parts  of  such  an  exten- 
sive territory  is  neither  practicable  nor  desirable.  The 
hunting  of  wild  game  throughout  this  region  at  certain 
seasons  and  under  careful  restrictions  is  eminently  proper. 
In  the  Park  itself  it  is  very  desirable  to  exclude  all  these 
things  and  it  has  been  found  practicable  to  do  so.  The 
policy  should  be  carefully  maintained,  and  the  Park  is  the 
only  place  of  like  extent  in  the  world  where  this  is  possi- 
ble.   It  will  fall  by  its  own  weight  if  extended  too  far. 

The  Indians,  with  that  exquisite  propriety  which  so 
often  characterized  their  geographical  nomenclature,  called 
tliis  larger  region  the  '^'^summit  of  the  world";  and  it  is 
the  summit  of  the  world  as  they  knew  it — the  top  of  the 
North  American  Continent.  From  out  its  forests  and 
mountains  great  rivers  descend  in  every  direction  to  the 
sea.  The  Missouri  River,  through  the  Madison  and  Galla- 
tin Forks,  and  the  great  tributaries,  Yellowstone  and 
Platte,  flows  down  from  these  mountains.  Likewise  Green 
River,  the  principal  tributary  of  the  Colorado  of  the  West, 
rises  in  the  snows  of  these  same  hills,  and  its  icy  waters 
flow  south  until  they  reach  the  sea  on  the  very  border  of 
the  torrid  zone.  Finally  the  great  southern  branch  of  the 
Columbia,  the  Snake  River,  finds  it  sources  interlaced  with 
those  of  the  streams  just  mentioned. 

The  vast  importance  of  this  region  as  a  source  of  great 
river  systems  will  be  understood  when  it  is  remembered 
that  each  of  these  streams  flows  for  fully  a  thousand  miles 
through  a  country  where  agriculture  is  possible  only  by 
irrigation,  and  that  their  waters,  if  properly  utilized,  are 
capable  of  maintaining  a  population  as  great  as  that  west 


178  THE    YELLOWSTONE    NATIONAL    PAHK. 

of  the  longitude  of  Omaha  to-day.  Surely,  it  is  not  only 
the  "summit  of  the  world,"  but  a  veritable  fountain  head 
of  national  life,  and  there  is  a  natural  harmony  of  relation 
in  the  fact  that  this  entire  region  has  been  brought  under 
federal  control. 

MOUNTAIN  SYSTEMS. 

Confining  our  inquiries  to  the  Park  proper,  we  shall  ne:xt 
note  its  salient  topographical  features.  The  Park  lies  in 
the  "heart  of  the  Rocky  Mountains,"  and  within  or  around 
it  are  some  of  the  most  massive  ranges  on  the  continent. 
This  is  particularly  true  of  the  extensive  system  which 
borders  the  Park  on  the  east  under  the  name  Absaroka. 
It  extends  north  of  the  Park  fully  forty  miles  and  south 
as  far  as  Union  Pass,  where  it  merges  into  the  noted  Wind 
Eiver  range.  It  separates  the  valley  of  the  Upper  Yellow- 
Btone  from  its  principal  tributary,  the  Big  Horn.  The 
range  is  excessively  rugged  and  broken,  and  is  practically 
impassable,  except  along  a  few  trails.  Sylvan  Pass,  which 
has  been  selected  for  the  eastern  approach  to  the  Park,  is 
about  eight  thousand  six  hundred  feet  high,  nearly  a  thou- 
sand feet  lower  than  any  other  within  a  distance  of  forty 
miles.  There  are  thirty  named  peaks  of  this  range  within 
the  Park  with  a  ruling  altitude  of  about  ten  thousand  four 
hundred  feet;  but  in  the  forest  reserve,  just  east  of  the 
Park,  the  altitude  is  about  two  thousand  feet  higher.  The 
scenery  of  these  mountains  is  everj^where  of  a  sublime  and 
imposing  character. 

The  Gallatin  Eange,  another  important  mountain  system, 
lies  in  and  beyond  the  northwest  corner  of  the  Park.  It 
separates  the  watersheds  of  the  Missouri  and  Yellowstone 
Rivers,  and  is  the  source  of  several  tributaries  of  eaoli 
stream.     The  range  is  one  of  great  scenic  beauty  and  one 


BOUNDARIES   AND  TOPOGRAPHY.  179 

that  falls  prominently  under  the  eye  of  the  tourist.  It  is 
also  of  particular  interest  to  scientists  from  its  varied  geo- 
logical structure.  It  is  not  a  lofty  range,  its  seventeen 
named  peaks,  averaging  only  about  nine  thousand  eight 
hundred  feet  high;  but  its  highest  summit,  Electric  Peak, 
is  the  loftiest  mountain  in  the  Park. 

The  Washburn  Piangc,  a  detached  system,  originaV.y 
known  as  the  "Elephant's  Back,"  is  situated  between  th^i 
Grand  Canon  of  the  Yellowstone  and  the  Gardiner  Eiver. 
It  has  seven  christened  summits,  with  an  average  altitude 
of  9,800  feet.  The  most  conspicuous  peak  of  the  range, 
as  well  as  the  most  noted  mountain  of  the  Park,  is  Mt. 
Washburn. 

The  Red  Mountain  Range  is  a  small  group  of  mountaiiis 
between  Heart  and  Lewis  Lakes,  and  southwest  of  Yellow- 
stone Lake.  Its  principal  summit,  and  next,  to  Mt.  Wash- 
burn the  most  important  one  in  the  Park,  is  ^It  Sheridan. 

The  Big  Game  Ridge  lies  along  the  south  boundary  of 
the  Park,  and  is  the  source  of  the  Snake  River.  It  has 
six  named  peaks,  with  an  average  altitude  of  9,800  feet. 

The  Teton  Range  lies  south  of  the  Park,  its  northern 
spurs  crossing  the  boundary.  It  is  not  an  extensive  system, 
but  one  of  great  altitude  and  marvelous  scenic  beauty.  The 
Grand  Teton,  its  principal  summit,  is  about  13,700  feet 
high.  The  whole  range  rises  in  sheer  relief  above  the  sur- 
face of  Jackson  Lake  nearl}^  a  mile  and  a  half.  It  has 
always  l^een  a  matter  of  great  regret  that  this  wonderful 
mountain  system  was  not  included  in  the  Park. 

The  Continental  Divide,  or  the  ^^leight  of  land,"  whicli 
separates  the  waters  that  flow  into  the  Atlantic  from  those 
that  flow  into  the  Pacific,  crosses  the  Park  in  a  direction 
from  northwest  to  southeast.  Its  sinuous  course  can  be 
best  understood  from  the  map.    It  does  not  lie  along  the 


180  1!11T.   YELLOWSTONE    N-ATIOJTAL   PARK. 

crest  of  any  prominent  ridge,  and  in  one  place  is  but  little 
higher  than  the  Yellowstone  Lake.  A  notable  feature  of 
the  Divide  is  the  great  loop  that  it  makes  around  the  water- 
shed of  DeLacy  Creek,  a  tributary  of  Shoshone  Lake.  The 
main  tourist  route  passes  directly  through  this  area,  and 
tlius  crosses  the  Continental  Divide  twice.  Another  promi- 
nent feature  of  the  Divide  is  Two-Ocean  Pass,  described 
elsewhere,*  which  lies  just  south  of  the  Park. 

DEAITTAGE  SYSTEMS. 

The  Absaroka  and  Gallatin  Eanges  and  the  Continental 
Divide  mark  the  boundaries  of  the  three  great  river  sys- 
tems of  the  Park,  the  Yellowstone,  the  Missouri  and  the 
Snake. 

The  first  two  are  on  the  Atlantic  slope ;  the  third  is  on 
the  Pacific  slope.  The  areas  drained  by  them  are  approxi- 
mately : 

By  the  Yellowstone,  1,900  square  miles. 

By  the  Missouri,  730  square  miles. 

By  the  Snake,  682  square  miles. 

The  Yellowstone  River  has  its  source  in  the  snow  drifts 
of  Yount  Peak,  twenty-five  miles  southeast  of  the  Park. 
It  enters  the  Reservation  six  miles  west  of  the  southeast 
corner;  crosses  it  in  a  direction  somewhat  west  of  north, 
and  leaves  it  at  a  point  about  nineteen  miles  east  of  the 
northwest  corner.  Xear  the  center  of  the  Park  it  flows 
through  the  celebrated  lake  of  the  same  name,  and  further 
north  passes  through  two  remarkable  caiions  before  it 
leaves  the  Reservation.  Its  principal  tributaries  from  the 
east  are  Pelican  Creek,  which  flows  into  the  Lake,  and  the 
Lamar  River,  commonly  called  the  East  Fork.  Those  from 
the  west  are  Tower  Creek  and  Gardiner  River. 


*  Page  310. 


BOTTNDARIES  AND  TOPOGRAPHY.  181 

The  Lamar  Eiver  rises  nearly  due  east  of  the  outlet  of 
Yellowstone  Lake  and  flows  northwesterly,  joining  the 
main  stream  near  Junction  Butte.  Its  principal  tributary 
is  Soda  Butte  Creek,  which  rises  just  outside  the  northeast 
comer  of  the  Park  and  joins  the  Lamar  Eiver  near  the  ex- 
tinct hot  spring  cone  from  which  it  derives  its  name. 

Gardiner  Eiver  is  the  second  largest  tributary  of  the 
Yellowstone,  and  drains  the  extensive  area  between  the 
Washburn  and  Gallatin  Mountains. 

The  low-water  discharge  of  the  Yellowstone  Eiver,  aa 
measured  by  the  writer,  in  1891,  a  little  below  the  lake  out- 
let, is  1,598  cubic  feet  per  second;  as  measured  by  the 
United  States  Geological  Survey,  in  1886,  1,525  cubic  feet. 
The  discharge  at  the  north  boundary  of  the  Park  cannot 
be  less  than  2,000  cubic  feet. 

The  Missouri  Eiver  drainage  flows  into  the  Gallatin  and 
Madison  forks  of  that  stream.  The  Gallatin  drains  only  a 
small  area  in  the  extreme  northwest  corner  of  the  Park. 
The  Madison  is  formed  by  the  junction  of  the  Gibbon  and 
Firehole  Elvers,  about  twelve  miles  east  of  the  west  boun- 
dary of  the  Park.  The  Gibbon  takes  its  rise  a  few  miles 
west  of  the  Falls  of  the  Yellowstone,  and  flows  in  a  south- 
west direction.  The  Firehole  rises  in  Madison  Lake,  and 
flows  north  to  its  junction  with  the  Gibbon.  Its  principal 
tributaries  are  the  Little  Firehole  Eiver  and  Iron  Creek  on 
the  west,  and  Xez  Perce  Creek  on  the  east. 

The  Snake  Eiver  drains  the  southwest  portion  of  the 
Park.  It  rises  about  fifteen  miles  south  of  Yellowstone 
Lake,  just  outside  the  boundary.  It  then  takes  a  northerly 
circuit  into  the  Park,  receiving  the  waters  of  Heart  and 
Lewis  Elvers,  and  leaves  the  Eeservation  just  north  of  Jack- 
son Lake.  Its  princijial  tributary  is  the  Lewis  Eiver,  which 
drains  Shoshone  and  Lewis  Lakes.    Several  large  streams, 


182  THE   YELLOWSTONE    NATIONAL   PAKK. 

Bechler  and  Falls  Elvers  among  them,  cross  the  southwest 
boundary  of  the  Park  and  join  the  main  Snake  further 
south. 

A  very  noted  stream,  the  main  trunk  of  which  lies  out- 
side the  Park,  is  the  Shoshone  (formerly  called  Stinlving 
Water)  Eiver,  which  rises  in  the  Forest  Eeserve  east  of  the 
Park.  Several  of  its  western  tributaries,  like  Jones  and 
Middle  Creeks,  drain  a  considerable  area  in  the  Absaroka 
Eange,  east  of  the  lake ;  and  along  the  valley  of  the  second 
of  these  streams  is  located  the  eastern  entrance  to  the  Park. 

These  several  rivers,  with  their  tributaries,  make  about 
165  named  streams  in  the  Park.  The  abundance  of  flow- 
ing water  as  indicated  by  these  figures,  has  an  important 
bearing  upon  the  practical  side  of  the  Park — considered  as 
a  pleasuring  ground.  The  number  of  bridges  and  the  dam- 
ages from  floods  are  a  constant  and  heavy  expense  to  the 
road  system.  On  the  other  hand,  the  presence  of  so  many 
streams,  with  the  rapids  and  cataracts  which  abound  upon 
most  of  them,  forms  one  of  the  mo==t  attractive  features  of 
the  landscape. 

In  the  entire  Park  there  are  about  thirty-six  named  lakes 
with  a  total  area  of  nearly  165  square  miles.  Of  these 
lakes,  twenty-one,  with  an  area  of  l-i3  square  miles,  are 
on  the  Yellowstone  slope;  eight,  with  an  area  of  perhaps 
two  square  miles,  are  on  the  Missouri  slope;  and  seven, 
with  an  area  of  about  twenty  square  miles,  are  on  the 
Snake  Eiver  slope.  The  four  principal  lakes — Yellowstone, 
Shoshone,  Lewis  and  Heart — are  clustered  near  the  Conti- 
nental Divide  at  its  lowest  point,  the  first  being  on  the 
Atlantic  slope,  and  the  others  on  the  Pacific. 

There  are  upon  the  various  streams  of  the  Park  no  fewer 
than  twenty-five  interesting  waterfalls,  where  the  streams 
descend  from  the  plateau  to  the  lower  surrounding  country. 


BOUNDARIES  AND  TOPOGRAPHY,  183 

VALLEYS. 

Although  the  mountains  are  the  prime  factors  in  determ- 
ining the  topography  of  a  country  like  the  Yellowstone 
Park,  they  are,  in  a  practical  sense,  of  less  importance  than 
the  valleys  that  lie  between  them  and  the  streams  cf  "which 
they  are  the  source.  It  is  mainly  in  the  valleys  that  the 
fauna  of  a  region  dwcll^,  and  that  man  carries  on  his 
work.  In  the  Park  it  so  happens  that  most  of  the  charac- 
teristic attractions  are  also  to  be  found  there. 

The  valleys  naturally  fall  under  two  broad  divisions — 
open  valleys  and  caiions.  The  largest  and  most  important 
of  the  open  valleys  is  that  of  the  Yellowstone  and  Lamar 
Elvers,  stretching  from  Mt.  Washburn  and  Crescent  Hill 
nearly  to  the  east  boundary  of  the  Park.  It  is  fully 
twent}'-five  miles  long  and  five  to  ten  broad.  It  is  nearly 
all  open  country,  with  fine  pasturage  extending  well  up  the 
sides  of  the  mountains,  forming  an  ideal  grazing  ground, 
where   elk,  deer  and  antelope  roam  in  immense  herds. 

Hay  den  Valley,  the  second  largest  grassy  tract  in  the 
Park,  is  that  portion  of  the  valley  of  the  Upper  Yellowstone 
which  lies  north  of  Mud  Geyser.  It  is  covered  with  rich 
grass  and  is  a  splendid  summer  grazing  ground,  but  the 
snowfall  of  winter  is  too  deep  for  animals  to  dig  through 
to  the  turf. 

Among  the  other  open  valleys  of  importance  are  Swan 
Lake  Flat  and  Willow  Park,  in  the  valley  of  the  Upper 
Gardiner;  Elk  Park  and  Gibbon  Meadows,  on  the  Gibbon 
River;  the  broad  area  of  Pelican  Valley;  the  Firehole 
Geyser  Basins,  more  noted  for  their  natural  features  than 
as  a  grazing  country;  and  some  open  tracts  around 
Shoshone  and  Lewis  Lakes,  and  along  the  valley  of  Falls 
River. 


184  THE    YELLOWSTONE    NATIONAL    PARK. 

Going  outside  the  Park^  the  wonderful  valley  of  Jack- 
son Hole  naturally  arrests  attention.  It  is  an  extensive 
region^  generally  oj)en  and  of  rolling  terrane,  though  in  some 
2dacesllat  and  even  as  a  floor:  abounding  in  fine  pasturage, 
and  a  natural  home  for  game  of  all  kinds.  But  its  chief 
attraction  lies  in  its  marvelous  natural  beauty.  It  is  tra- 
versed b}"  the  Snake  Eiver;  dotted  with  several  fine  lakcs^, 
of  which  Jackson  Lake  is  the  largest,  and  surrounded  by 
majestic  mountain  ranges.  The  Teton  Kange  on  the  west 
is  its  most  important  scenic  attraction.  The  name,  Jackson 
Hole,  applies  strictly  to  the  lower  part  of  the  valley  below 
Jackson  Lake. 

Caiions  are  the  narrow  openings  among  the  hills 
through  which  the  water  from  the  mountains  finds  its  way 
to  the  lower  country.  There  are  very  many  of  these.  On 
the  Yellowstone,  above  the  Great  Bend  at  Livingston, 
where  the  river  finally  leaves  the  mountains,  there  are  four 
of  these  caiions,  the  first  two  of  which  are  outside  the  Park. 
The  fourth  caiion  begins  about  two  miles  above  the  Upper 
Falls  and  continues  to  Baronett  Bridge,  a  distance  of 
twenty-five  miles.  Its  central  portion  is  the  world- 
renowned  Grand  Canon  of  the  Yellowstone. 

The  Gardiner  Eiver  has  two  fine  canons  that  come  to  the 
notice  of  the  tourist.  The  first  of  these  is  near  the  north- 
ern entrance  to  the  Park.  The  second  lies  behind  Bunsen 
Peak,  and  is  of  great  depth,  beauty  and  grandeur. 

On  the  Gibbon  Eiver  there  is  a  small,  but  picturesque, 
canon  half  a  mile  long,  below  Virginia  Cascade,  and  an- 
other of  great  interest,  extending  for  five  miles  below 
Gibbon  Meadows. 

On  the  Firehole  Eiver  there  are  two  small  gorges,  inter- 
esting mainly  from  the  cascades  and  rapids  of  the  river. 
One  of  them  is  where  the  tourist  route  first  strikes  the  river 


BOUNDARIES  AND  TOPOGRAPHY.  186 

five  miles  below  the  Fountain  Hotel,  and  the  other  is  in  the 
vicinity  of  Kepler  Cascade,  above  the  Upper  Geyser  Basin. 

Spring  Creek  Canon  is  a  winding,  sylvan  valley,  of  very 
picturesque  outline,  through  which  Spring  Creek  flows  in 
the  last  three  miles  of  its  course.  It  is  traversed  by  the 
tourist  route. 

On  the  eastern  approach  Sylvan  Pass  is  a  very  striking 
natural  cut  through  the  mountains,  while  the  canon  of 
Middle  Creek  presents  a  remarkable  scene  of  rugged, 
broken  country,  filled  with  dense  forests,  and  traversed  by  a 
torrential  mountain  stream. 

There  are  hundreds  of  caiions  besides  those  men- 
tioned, where  streams  like  the  Lamar  Eiver  and  its 
tributaries,  and  the  Gallatin,  Snake  and  Upper  Yellow- 
stone, flow  out  from  their  sources  in  the  mountain  snows. 
But  few  visitors  are  fortunate  enough  ever  to  see  them,  and 
their  beauties  will  always  remain  in  large  part  concealed 
from  the  general  eye. 

PLATEAUS. 

A  considerable  portion  of  the  Park  area  is  composed  of 
what  may  be  termed  plateaus,  elevated  tracts  of  land,  not 
so  high  as  the  mountain  ranges,  but  much  higher  than  the 
valleys.  Ordinarily,  these  are  to  be  found  along  the  divides 
between  the  larger  streams.  The  more  important  are  the 
Pitchstone  Plateau,  between  the  Snake  Eiver  and  the  head 
waters  of  the  Bechler  and  Falls  Elvers,  with  a  mean  altitude 
of  8.500  feet;  Highland  Plateau,  between  the  Yellowstone 
and  the  Madison  Eivers,  altitude  8,300  feet;  ^Mirror 
Plateau,  between  the  Yellowstone  and  the  Lamar  Eivers, 
altitude  9,000  feet;  the  Blacktail  Deer  Plateau,  between 
the  Yellowstone  and  the  Gardiner,  altitude  7.000  feet ;  and 
the  Madison  Plateau,  we.^  of  the  Lower  Geyser  Basin, 
altitude  8,300  feet. 
(8*) 


186  THE    YELLOWSTONE    NATIONAL   PAEK. 

SCENERY. 

The  mountain  scenery  of  the  Park  is  that  of  the  Eocky 
Mountains  in  general,  though  not  so  rugged  and  imposing 
on  the  whole  as  may  be  found  in  Colorado  or  in  the  Sierra 
Nevada  and  Cascade  Ranges  on  the  Pacific  Slope.  Yet  in 
its  general  details  it  is  typical  of  the  scenery  of  the  central 
mountain  region,  and  perhaps  the  most  varied  and  beau- 
tiful of  any.  The  ^svriter  can  not  better  convey  a  general 
idea  of  it  than  by  reproducing  here  a  description  prepared 
for  a  different  purpose.* 

'•'The  physical  aspect  of  the  Eocky  Mountains  is  alto- 
gether characteristic.  The  traveler  who  passes  hurriedly 
through  them  on  the  modem  railroad  is  liable  to  contrast 
imfavorably  their  grey  color,  severe  outlines  and  barren 
slopes  with  the  verdure-clad  hillsides  of  the  Eastern  States. 
Not  so  he,  who,  like  the  ancient  trapper,  frequents  their 
unaccustomed  haunts,  comes  in  close  contact  with  their 
wild  and  picturesque  details,  and  observes  their  varying 
moods  with  the  changes  of  each  day  and  the  seasons  of  the 
year.  This  more  intimate  acquaintance  discloses  a 
wealth  of  beauty  which  the  uniform  green  of  the  Eastern 
mountains  does  not  possess,  and  it  is  said  by  reputable 
painters  of  natural  scenery,  that  no  mountains  in  the  world, 
not  even  the  Alps,  afford  scenes  so  satisfactory  to  the  artist 
as  those  of  the  Eocky  Mountains. 

"The  general  appearance  of  the  mountains  is  of  a  greyish 
color  where  vegetation  is  scarce.  This  results  not  ouly 
from  the  exposed  areas  of  rock  in  situ,  but  from  the  dis- 
integrated rock  which  covers  the  mountains  in  many 
places  with  a  sterile  soil.  The  reddish  color  of  iron  oxide 
is  widely  present,  particularly  in  the  smaller  hills  of  the 

♦American  Fur  Trade  of  the  Far  West,  p.  728  et  seq. 


BOUNDARIES   AND  TOPOGRAPHY.  187 

Bad  Lands,  while  yellow  and  other  colors  are  of  frequent 
occurrence. 

^^The  greater  number  of  the  northern  mountains  have 
extensive  grassy  slopes  whose  broad  areas,  inclined  upward 
as  on  a  mighty  easel,  and  spread  out  in  rolling  stretches 
with  gentle  depressions  between  them,  look  like  beautiful 
carpets  of  green  or  brown,  according  to  the  season,  softened 
by  the  mellow  haze  of  distance  and  burnished  by  the  crim- 
son rays  of  the  morning  and  evening  sun.  At  the  higher 
elevations,  from  five  to  ten  thousand  feet,  forests  of  pine, 
fir  and  similar  trees  abound  extensively  and  cover  the 
mountains  with  a  mantle  of  dark  green  or  black.  At  fre- 
quent intervals  throughout  these  forests  are  open  spaces, 
filled  with  luxuriant  grass,  forming  parks  of  faultless 
beauty  amid  the  somber  solitudes  of  the  surrounding 
woods.  Everywhere  in  these  wild  and  sublime  situations 
occur  the  always  pleasing  groves  of  the  quaking  aspen,  a 
grateful  relief  either  from  the  gloomy  view  of  extensive 
forests  or  the  uniform  prospect  of  grass-covered  slopes. 
Taken  together,  these  varied  arrangements  of  nature 
present  an  artistic  appearance  that  reminds  one  of  the  cul- 
tivated sections  in  the  mountain  regions  of  Europe  where 
man  has  contributed  so  much  to  enhance  the  beauty  of 
nature. 

*The  scenery  of  these  mountains,  moveover,  is  subject  to 
continual  and  interesting  change.  Scarcely  have  the  bleak 
storms  of  winter  subsided,  and  while  yet  deep  fields  of 
snow  lie  upon  the  upper  slopes,  the  soft  blossoms  of  spring 
shoot  eagerly  from  the  scanty  soil  and  oppose  the  gentle 
warmth  of  their  blooms  to  the  chill  snow  which  is  slowly 
receding  before  them.  So  profuse  and  beautiful  are  the 
flowers  in  these  lofty  regions  that  one  would  doubt  if  any 
other  season  could  rival  the  springtime  in  beauty.    But  in 


188  THE   YELLOWSTONE    NATIONAL    PARK. 

truth  the  somber  season  of  autumn  is  the  most  attractive  of 
all.  The  early  frosts  cover  the  mountain  sides  with  the 
most  varied  and  gorgeous  colors.  The  quaking  aspen^ 
which  before  was  simjily  a  mass  of  green  upon  the  moun- 
tain side,  now  stands  forth  with  tenfold  greater  distinctness 
in  its  rich  autumnal  foliage.  The  low  growth  of  under- 
brush, which  scarcely  attracts  the  eye  at  other  seasons, 
takes  on  a  livelier  hue,  transforming  whole  mountain  sides 
into  fields  of  pleasing  color.  Even  upon  those  inaccessible 
and  apparently  barren  slopes,  where  the  eye  had  not  before 
detected  any  sign  of  vegetable  life,  may  now  be  seen  spots 
of  crimson  and  gold,  as  if  nature  had  scattered  here  and 
there  rich  bouquets  of  flowers  and  bunches  of  fruit. 

"It  is  not  upon  the  surface  of  the  earth  alone  that  are  to 
be  seen  the  grandeur  and  beauty  of  these  regions.  Even 
the  wild  mountain  storms  which  are  frequent  at  certain 
seasons  have  an  attraction  peculiarly  their  own,  and  all  the 
more  remarkable  by  the  very  contrasts  which  they  produce. 
If,  in  passing,  they  display  on  a  terrible  scale  the  power  of 
the  elements,  on  the  other  hand,  they  leave  behind  them,  in 
the  sun-gilded  clouds  among  the  mountain  tops,  the  most 
peaceful  and  pleasing  pictures  which  nature  anywhere 
affords. 

"Again,  in  the  long  rainless  season,  the  atmosphere,  like 
the  painter's  brush,  tints  the  hills,  in  ever-varying  inten- 
sity, with  the  purple  and  blue  of  distance.  For  this  is 
pre-eminently  a  land  of  cloudless  skies.  The  risings  and 
settings  of  the  sun  are  on  a  scale  of  sublime  magnificence, 
while  the  moon  rides  among  the  mountain  peaks  with  a 
serene  splendor  unkno^ni  in  less  favored  climes. ' 

It  is  in  this  mountain  scenery  that  the  chief  attraction  of 
the  Park  lies — for  him  who  spends  considerable  time  there. 


fiOtJNDAKTKS  AXD  TOPOatJAt>HY.  189 

lie  may  weary  of  the  geysers  and  hot  springs,  but  he 
always  finds  relief  in  the  varied  aspect  of  nature — ^hei* 
shifting  seasons,  her  growth  and  decay;  her  mutability 
amid  scenes  of  changeless  grandeur — and  it  would  make 
little  difference  in  his  fondness  for  this  region  if  all  its 
strange  and  erratic  phenomena  should  cease  to  exist. 


CHAPTEE  IL 

GEOLOGICAL  HISTORY  OF   THE   PARK, 

Nature  seems  from  the  first  to  have  design ed  this  region 
for  a  mountain  park.  Back  in  the  remote  twilight  of  the 
earth's  geological  histor}',  beyond  which  man  is  unable  to 
trace  the  smallest  relic  of  the  past;,  and  when,  the  surface 
of  the  globe  was  one  va^t  ocean  with  a  few  scattering 
islands^  the  nuclei  of  all  subsequent  land  gro^\i:hS;,  there 
had  already  arisen  around  the  Park  country  those  granite 
.protuberances  which  form  the  ground  work  of  its  present 
mountain  systems.  Just  what  were  the  position  and  extent 
of  these  primeval  elevations  can  never  be  definitely  deter- 
mined, but  geologists  agree  that  they  existed  on  every  side 
of  the  Park  which  itself  remained  buried  beneath  the 
waters  long  ages  after  their  emergence. 

In  the  course  of  an  inconceivable  extent  of  time,  embrac- 
ing the  Paleozoic  and  Mesozoic  eras,  these  exposed  areas 
were  denuded  by  the  action  of  the  elements  and  the  result- 
ing detritus  was  spread  about  over  the  bottom  of  the  sur- 
rounding seas.  Xot  improbably  chemical  action,  in  those 
times  of  intense  activity  of  all  natural  agencies,  may  have 
hastened  deposition  from  the  impregnated  waters  and  have 
aided  in  the  upbuilding  of  the  sedimentary  rocks.  From 
whatever  cause,  these  depositions  were  of  vast  extent,  their 
thickness  in  some  localities,  as  measured  by  the  geologist, 
being  several  thousand  feet.  Possilily  during  all  this  time 
there  was  an  increasing  emergence  of  old  mountain  foun- 
dations, bringing  the  outlines  of  the  continent  more  and 
more  prominently  into  view. 

In  geological  chronology  it  was  near  the  close  of  the 


GEOLOGICAL  HISTORY  OF  THE  PARK.  191 

Cretaceous  Period  that  this  long-existing  condition  under- 
went a  profound  change.  The  shrinkage  of  the  earth  in 
the  process  of  cooling  had  thrown  a  strain  upon  its  still 
weak  and  plastic  crust  which  it  was  no  longer  able  to  with- 
stand. The  old  Archffian  rocks  and  the  vast  sedimentary 
accumulations  were  crumpled  and  forced  upward  in 
stupendous  wrinkles,  forming  lofty  mountain  ranges 
above  the  ancient  sea.  These  movements  may  have  been 
very  slow,  as  we  now  reckon  time,  but  they  were  rapid  in 
a  geological  sense. 

Very  interesting  would  it  be  if  the  geologist  could 
penetrate  the  lavas  which  now  cover  these  ancient  rocks, 
and  make  for  us  a  map  of  the  Park  region  as  it  then  was. 
We  may  conjecture  that  the  present  surrounding  mountain 
chains  had  taken  form,  and  were  probably  more  lofty  and 
very  different  in  appearance,  owing  to  the  vast  changes  of 
later  times.  It  is  also  probable  that  the  interior  of  the 
Park,  which  we  now  call  its  plateau,  had  arisen  above  the 
sea  and  that  consequently  the  formation  of  sedimentary 
rocks  had  ceased.  The  interior  basin  was  nevertheless  a 
depressed  area,  relatively  far  deeper  than  at  present. 
Whether  there  were  folds  or  uplifts  where  Mts.  Washburn 
and  Sheridan  now  stand  is  uncertain,  but  the  feeble  resist- 
ance of  the  crust  at  these  points  in  later  times  would  indi- 
cate that  there  were. 

Now  followed  changes  of  great  and  far-reaching  import- 
ance. The  crushed  and  plicated  earth-crust  yielded  to  pres- 
sure from  beneath,  where  the  molten  interior,  compressed 
by  the  ever  increasing  force  of  contraction,  was  seeking 
relief  and  expansion.  Volcanic  eruptions  of  wide  extent 
and  prodigious  magnitude  took  place,  and  continued  inter- 
mittently through  Tertiary  and  into  Quaternar}-  time. 
There  were  evidently  many  and  long  periods  of  quiescence. 


192  I^HE    YELLOWSTONE    NATIONAL   PARK. 

The  pent-up  forces  having  expended  their  energ}'  in  one 
eruption  remained  quiescent  for  a  season.  The  ordinary 
atmospheric  and  vegetable  agencies  then  asserted  them- 
selves very  much  as  at  present,  though  probably  with 
greater  force  and  intensity.  Meanwhile  the  imprisoned 
fires  gathered  new  force^,  burst  forth  again  and  destroyed 
the  peaceful  work  that  had  gone  on  during  the  period  of 
rest.  Thus  these  opposite  manifestations  of  natural  forces 
succeeded  each  other  through  long  ages,  until  the  reign  of 
peace  was  established  and  the  powers  of  violence  and  terror 
were  permanently  dethroned. 

The  lava  outpourings  during  this  period  of  volcanic 
activity  have  given  our  Park  the  form  in  wliich  we  see 
it  to-day,  except  as  this  has  since  been  modified  by  the 
agencies  of  denudation  and  erosion.  The  earlier  outpour- 
ings consisted  mainly  of  andesitic  breccias;  the  later  of 
rhyolite,  while  all  along  there  were  smaller  flows  of 
basaltic  lavas.  The  andesitic  eruptions  played  their  prin- 
cipal part  in  the  up-building  of  the  mountains.  Over  the 
greater  part  of  the  xlbsaroka  and  Gallatin  Eanges  the 
older  granite  and  sedimentary  rocks  were  buried  beneath 
the  lava,  and  the  modern  form  of  these  mountains  is  that 
which  time  has  wrought  out  from  these  igneous  rocks. 

These  volcanic  outbursts  were  evidently  not  so  much  of 
the  character  of  molten  lava  as  in  later  times.  In  many 
places  the  heat  was  not  sufficient  to  consume  organic  sub- 
stances, the  forms  of  which  have  remained  intact  to  the 
present  time.  The  material  was  apparently  not  liquid 
enouoh  to  spread  itself  about  like  a  lake,  but  instead 
banked  up  in  the  near  neighborhood  of  eruption  and  thus 
promoted  the  building  up  of  the  mountains.  It  seems  also 
to  have  been  of  a  character  that  yielded  readily  to  the 
agencies  of  erosion. 

There  were  several  craters  from  which  these  lavas  issued 


i  tj  __  cj _o  __  m: 


<  * 


o 

Th£'  Traverti>-e  Rocks. 


GEOLOGICAL  HISTORY  OF  THE  PARK.  193 

— two  or  more  in  the  Absaroka  Range,  one  in  the  Gallatin 
Range,  and  two,  which  interest  us  more,  in  the  interior  of 
the  Park,  Mt.  Washburn  and  Mt.  Sheridan.  No  one  can 
Etand  on  the  summit  of  ^It.  Wasliburn  and  look  down  upon 
the  forest-covered  amphitheater  that  forms  the  watershed 
of  Tower  Creek,  without  feeling  instinctively  that  he  is 
standing  on  the  rim  of  an  ancient  crater,  which  was  once 
a  seething  caldron  of  molten  lava,  but  is  now  eJothed  in  a 
garb  of  beauty  by  the  gentler  agencies  of  nature. 

In  the  process  of  time  the  eruptive  material  from  these 
volcanoes  showed  a  marked  change  in  character.  The  later 
flows  were  mainly  of  rhyolite.  It  is  this  rock  that  makes 
the  Park  plateau  what  it  is  to-day.  It  was  of  a  more 
liquid  character  than  the  early  outflows,  and  spread  itself 
all  over  the  country,  filling  up  its  depressions  and  elevating 
the  general  surface  of  the  basin  by  more  than  a  thousand 
feet.  The  rock  has  a  great  variety  of  superficial  habit, 
from  the  soft  friable  material  which  grinds  to  powder 
under  the  wheels  of  wagons,  to  the  glassy  structure  so 
prominent  in  Obsidian  Cliff.  Nine-tenths  of  all  the  rock 
which  the  tourist  sees  is  of  this  character,  though  its  varied 
forms  might  lead  him  to  a  different  conclusion. 

Throughout  the  entire  period  of  volcanic  activity  in  tliis 
region  there  were  limited  outpourings  of  basalt,  and  the 
latest  eruptions  were  of  this  character.  Though  small  in 
extent,  compared  with  the  other  rocks,  it  is  the  most 
important  of  all  from  a  scenic  point  of  view ;  for  it  always 
assumes  a  form  that  attracts  attention.  Prominent 
examples  may  be  seen  in  the  Middle  Gardiner  Canon  at 
Osprey  Falls,  and  along  the  banks  of  the  Yellowstone  near 
Tower  Falls. 

Xext  in  order  of  the  great  events  in  the  geological  evo- 
lution of  the  Park  is  the  Glacial  Epoch.  Its  work  is 
(9) 


104  THE    YELLOWSTONE    NATIONAL    PARK. 

everywhere  visible  and  certainly  overspread  the  entire 
region.  Unquestionably  the  Park  was  covered  with  one 
vast  ice  sheet,  which  even  the  warm  ground  where  the  hot 
springs  were  could  not  resist.  Perhaps  the  most  extensive 
and  important  of  all  the  glaciers  was  the  one  which  de- 
bouched from  the  Third  Caiion  of  the  Yellowstone  and  the 
Lower  Gardiner,  into  the  valley  below.  It  came  from  two 
sources — one  in  the  Absaroka  Eange  at  the  head  waters  of 
Lamar  Eiver,  and  the  other  from  th.e  Gallatin  Eange, 
whence  it  moved  eastward  and  curved  around  to  the  left 
over  Terrace  Mountain,  joining  the  main  ice  stream  in  the 
Gardiner  Valley.  The  debris  borne  along  by  these  com- 
bined glaciers  are  strewn  everywhere  throughout  the  north 
of  the  Park,  and  are  particularly  prominent  in  the  valley 
of  the  Yellowstone  from  the  Park  boundary  north,  halfway 
to  Livingston.  In  the  Gibbon  Caiion,  near  the  Falls,  are 
great  accumulations  of  drift  boulders  intermixed  with 
mud.  Hayden  Valley  and  vast  areas  throughout  the  north 
of  the  Park  are  stre^Ti  with  drift.  One  lone  and  impres- 
sive monument  of  this  once  mighty  agency  still  rests  in 
solitary  grandeur  on  the  bank  of  the  Grand  Canon,  near 
Inspiration  Point.  It  is  a  huge  granite  boulder  and  must 
have  been  brought  to  its  present  situation  by  the  ice.* 

The  glacier  has  been  the  main  agency  in  giving  the  Park 
topography  its  present  form ;  that  is,  it  has  done  more  than 
an}i:hing  else  to  shape  the  valleys  and  hills  and  give  the 
terrane  its  varied  aspect,  rounding  and  smoothing  its  ele- 
vations, plowing  out  its  valleys  and  scooping  out  the  depres- 
sions for  its  lakes.  It  has  a  less  enviable  reputation^^^th  those 
to  whom  falls  the  practical  task  of  preparing  highways  for 
travelers  throughout  the  Park.    Xo  obstacle  to  road  build- 

*  See  also  page  320. 


GEOLOGICAL  HISTORY  OF  THE  PARK.  195 

ing  is  quite  so  formidable  as  the  masses  of  drift  boulders 
80  frequently  encountered.  They  have  cost  the  government 
thousands  upon  thousands  of  dollars.  But  they  have  been 
of  great  benefit  in  other  ways,  for  the  line  gravel  beds  are 
extensively  used  in  building  up  a  good  road  surface.  One 
of  these  masses  of  gravel  and  sand  is  very  remarkable  and 
has  proven  a  veritable  gold  mine  to  the  government  in  its 
work  around  Mammoth  Hot  Springs.  This  is  Capitol  Hill, 
which  is  almost  entirely  built  up  of  sand  and  gravel,  very 
clean  and  free  from  loam,  and  mixed  by  nature  in  almost 
the  identical  proportions  required  lor  ordinary  concrete. 
Another  similar  deposit  is  found  on  Swan  Lake  Flat,  from 
which  the  material  for  the  Golden  Gate  viaduct  was 
procured. 

The  events  of  the  volcanic  period  of  the  Park  history 
are  preserved  in  one  of  the  most  perfect  natural  records 
which  the  researches  of  geologists  have  ever  brought  to 
light.  The  place  known  as  the  Fossil  Forests  of  the 
Yellowstone  is  a  deep  exposure  of  the  volcanic  rocks  caused 
by  the  erosion  of  the  valley  of  Lamar  Kiver.  It  discloses 
several  consecutive  horizons  of  vegetable  growth  separated 
from  each  other  by  lava  flows,  which  completely  buried  the 
subjacent  growths  and  provided  a  foundation  for  those 
above.  Beginning  with  the  first  or  lowest,  it  is  clear  that 
conditions  prevailed  at  the  time  wliich  were  highly  favor- 
able to  vegetable  growth,  and  that  these  continued  long 
enough  for  giant  trees  to  attain  mature  size.  Finally  tliis 
season  of  growth  was  rudely  interrupted  by  the  violent 
outburst  of  a  volcanic  eruption.  Vast  masses  of  ejected 
material  overwhelmed  and  submerged  the  land.  In  this 
particular  locality  the  heat  was  not  intense  enough  to  con- 
sume the  trees,  although  it  killed  them  and  probably 
reduced  most  of  them  to  mere  stubs.    In  the  course  of  long 


196  THE    YELLOWSTONE    NATIONAL    PARK. 

ages  since  that  time  the  percolation  of  siliceous  waters  has 
turned  the  organic  forms  into  stone  by  the  process  of  sub- 
stitution, and  has  thus  preserved  a  most  faithful  picture  of 
the  vegetable  life  of  that  period^  and  an  infallible  proof  of 
the  agencies  that  destroyed  it. 

Some  of  the  petrifications  are  very  perfect.  Roots, 
bark,  parts  showing  incipient  decay,  worm  holes,  leaves — 
all  are  preserved  with  absolute  fidelity.  The  rings  of 
annual  growth  may  be  counted,  and  these  indicate  for  the 
larger  trees  an  age  of  not  less  than  five  hundred  years. 
Some  of  the  stumps  are  fully  ten  feet  in  diameter.  Here 
and  there  the  ponderous  roots  stand  imbedded  in  the  rock 
face  of  the  cliff »  where  Erosion  has  not  yet  undermined  them. 
In  one  case,  a  large  tree  that  had  fallen  before  petrifaction 
lies  partly  exposed,  both  ends  being  still  imbedded  in  the 
rock.  Some  hollow  trees  show  interiors  beautifully  lined 
with  holocrystalline  quartz. 

After  the  first  eruption  had  ceased  a  period  of  quies- 
cence followed,  during  which  the  ordinary  atmospheric 
and  aqueous  agencies  began  work,  eroding  the  surface  in 
some  places  and  depositing  the  products  of  erosion  in 
others,  while  vegetation  rapidly  covered  the  newly-formed 
soil.  A  subsequent  volcanic  outburst  destroyed  this  second 
growth  and  gave  a  new  horizon,  on  which  the  same  process 
was  repeated.  This  continued  until  there  were  at  least 
nine,  and  probably  twelve,  of  these  consecutive  growths. 

How  long  it  took  each  growth  to  reach  maturity;  how 
long  each  flourished  afterward  before  destruction ;  and  how 
long  the  several  eruptions  suspended  vegetable  life  are  mat- 
ters largely  conjectural.  But  at  the  very  lowest  estimate 
the  time  represented  by  these  various  accumulations  can 
not  be  less  than  ten  thousand  years. 

That  these  early  trees  were  of  a  different  species  from 


GEOLOGICAL  HISTORY  OF  THE  PARK.  197 

those  which  now  flourish  there,  need  not  excite  surprise, 
for  climatic  and  other  conditions  are  wholly  changed.  But 
an  equal  difference  seems  also  to  have  prevailed  between 
the  successive  growths^  the  trees  of  which  were  not  only 
unlike  each  other,  but  more  than  half  of  them  hitherto 
unknown  to  science.  Seventy  species  in  all  have  been  iden- 
tified and  described. 

The  cessation  of  active  eruptions  with  the  later  basalt 
outpourings  did  not  mean  the  cessation  of  volcanic  activity 
in  this  region.  It  has  continued  ever  since  in  the  form  in 
which  we  see  it  to-day,  although  at  one  time  far  more  wide- 
spread than  at  present.  There  is  some  evidence  also  that 
molten  matter  has  been  seen  in  certain  localities  in  the 
Park  within  historic  times.  There  is  no  doubt  that  the 
source  of  the  energy  which  is  seen  to-day  in  the  hot  springs 
and  geysers  is  identical  with  that  which  caused  the  erup- 
tions of  former  times.  Attempts  have  been  made  to  explain 
this  heat  as  originating  in  chemical  action,  or  from  the 
retained  heat  of  the  lava  flows;  but  there  are  insuperable 
objections  to  l)oth  theories.  It  is  necessary  to  go  back  to 
the  great  reservoir  of  internal  heat,  which  here,  as  in  all 
volcanic  regions,  must  be  presumed  to  lie  near  the  surface. 
One  disquieting  inference  from  this  theory  is  that  the 
security  of  our  Park  may  not  be  as  perfect  as  could  be 
desired,  and  that  the  old  pent-up  forces  may  yet  assert 
themselves  with  appalling  results. 

The  action  of  this  internal  heat,  as  seen  in  the  thermal 
phenomena  of  the  Park,  has  been  very  general  over  its  area, 
but  has  nowhere  produced  any  marked  change  in  its 
topography.  The  terraces  at  Mammoth  Hot  Springs  are 
the  only  considerable  exception.  They  have  wrought  an 
extensive  change  on  the  mountain  side  where  they  are 
found,  extending  from  the  Gardiner  Kiver  back  three  miles 


198  THE    YELLOWSTONE    NATIONAL    PARK. 

and  up  about  1^500  feet  to  the  tojD  of  Terrace  Mountain. 
In  the  other  hot  springs  districts  the  changes  consist  only 
of  comparatively  thin  incrustations  built  up  of  deposition 
from  the  hot  waters. 

The  period  of  time  through  Avhich  this  thermal  action 
has  been  going  on  is  very  great,  and  presumably  dates  from 
the  last  of  the  volcanic  eruptions.  It  certainly  antedates 
by  a  long  period  the  Glacial  Epoch,  for  drift  is  found  on 
the  summit  of  Terrace  Mountain,  which  is  itself  a  creation 
of  hot  springs  deposits.  Efforts  have  been  made  to  measure 
the  rate  of  deposition  from  the  springs  in  the  geyser  basins, 
and  to  calculate  therefrom  the  time  required  to  do  the  work 
which  has  actually  been  done.  The  method  is  one  of  great 
difficulty  and  uncertaint}^,  but  indicates  a  minimum  period 
of  twenty-five  thousand  years.  It  is  probably  much  greater 
than  this. 

The  area  of  hot  springs  action  in  the  Park  is  Yeij  exten- 
sive, far  more  so  than  surface  indications  would  lead  one 
to  suppose.  All  over  the  Park  Plateau  are  to  be  found 
various  substances  formed  by  the  decomposition  of  volcanic 
rock  through  the  agency  of  steam  and  hot  water.  The 
remarkable  coloring  of  the  Grand  Canon  is  that  of  the 
various  substance?  formed  by  this  decomposition.  There 
are  many  other  places  in  the  Park  where  cafions  like  this 
might  exist  if  the  eroding  agencies  were  there  to  carve 
them  out.  The  government  work  in  the  building  of  roads 
throughout  the  Park  has  revealed  the  existence  of  "forma- 
tion" in  many  places  where  it  would  not  be  suspected  from 
superficial  appearances. 

The  erosion  of  the  Grand  Canon,  one  of  the  most  mar- 
velous pieces  of  nature's  handiwork,  is  connected  with 
another  profound  change  in  the  topography  of  the  Park. 
The  surface  of  the  Yellowstone  Lake  once  stood  160  feet 


GEOLOGICAL  HISTORY  OF  THL  PAIIK.  199 

higher  than  at  present,  and  its  waters  flowed  through 
the  narrow  gorge  of  Outlet  Creek  into  Heart  Lake,  and 
thence  into  Snake  Eiver,  thus  placing  the  entire  watershed 
of  the  lake  on  the  Pacific  Slope.  In  those  times  the  Con- 
tinental Divide  passed  over  the  summit  of  Mt.  Washburn. 
AMiether  from  some  natural  convulsion  in  this  region,  or 
the  damming  up  of  the  southern  outlet  by  Glacial  ice,  or 
from  whatever  cause,  the  waters  of  the  lake  found  an 
outlet  over  the  natural  dam  at  the  eastern  base  of  Wash- 
burn, and  began  flowing  north.  The  immense  body  of 
water  stored  in  the  lake  and  its  overflow  during  the  ages 
that  have  since  elapsed  have  excavated  this  wonderful 
canon  in  the  decomposed  rhyolite.  The  old  shore  line  of 
the  lake  has  been  identified  in  many  places. 

In  the  ya&t  but  unknown  period  since  the  great  events 
which  we  have  noted  were  complete,  the  only  agencies  which 
have  modified  the  topography  of  the  country,  except  the  hot 
springs  action,  are  those  of  denudation,  erosion  and  vegeta- 
ble g^o^^'th.  The  succession  of  the  seasons,  the  action  of 
wind  and  rain  and  snow,  the  gro^\i:h  of  forests  and  other 
vegetation,  the  flow  of  the  streams,  have  all  l)een  instru- 
mental in  giving  the  Park  its  present  actual  appearance. 
'No  profound  change  has  been  produced  by  these  agencies, 
but  their  influence  upon  the  superficial  aspect  of  nature 
has  been  very  great. 

It  is  an  interesting  but  never-ending  study,  that  of  the 
rocks  of  the  Yellowstone  Park,  and  impossible  of  extended 
treatment  here;  but  that  the  reader  may  have  some  assistance 
in  his  attempt  to  identify  them,  if  he  visits  the  Park,  the  fol- 
lowing references  are  given  to  the  more  important  outcrop- 
pings  along  the  main  route. 

Upon  entering  the  Park  from  the  north  the  tourist  alights 
In  a  bed  of  glacial  drift  and  sees  strewn  all  around  him  granite 
and  other  boulders  brought  down  from  the  Gallatin  and  Nortlj 
Absaroka  rangeg. 


200  THE    YELLOWSTONE    NATIONAL    PARK. 

The  rock  from  which  the  entrance  gate  is  built  is  from  a 
basalt  outcrop  just  across  the  Yellowstone  from  Gardiner. 
Nearly  every  piece  is  a  section  of  an  hexagonal  prism. 

The  valley  of  the  Gardiner  along  which  the  road  lies  is  on 
the  line  of  a  fault  where  the  earth's  crust  parted,  that  on  the 
right  dropping  down  and  that  on  the  left  lifting  up,  and  form- 
ing the  feature  now  known  as  Mt.  Everts.  It  is  mainly  com- 
posed of  sedimentary  rocks — limestones  and  sandstones- 
Along  the  eastern  portion  is  a  covering  of  rhyolite  distinctly 
prominent  in  the  bold  escarpment  of  which  a  salient  angle 
fronts  Bunsen  Peak  and  the  valley  of  the  Middle  Gardiner. 

Soon  after  the  road  leaves  the  river  and  begins  the  ascent 
of  the  hill  it  strikes  the  travertine  deposits  of  Mammoth  Hot 
Springs.  The  road  is  cut  through  this  formation  in  several 
places. 

In  ascending  the  hill  above  Mammoth  Hot  Springs  the  road 
lies  in  the  travertine  most  of  the  way  for  three  miles,  and  in 
one  place  passes  through  a  remarkably  confused  mass  of 
broken  formation  locally  called  the  "Hoodoos." 

The  Golden  Gate  Canon  is  through  rhyolite  rocks. 

The  rocky  formation  of  Bunsen  Peak  is  of  dacite  porphyry 
surrounded  by  rhyolite  and  basalt.  A  beautiful  display  of  the 
latter  rock  may  be  seen  in  the  walls  of  the  Gardiner  Canon 
behind  the  mountain. 

Swan  Lake  Flat  is  covered,  as  the  visitor  will  readily  ob- 
serve, with  glacial  drift. 

Near  the  seventh  mile  post,  whei'e  the  road  crosses  the  Gar- 
diner River,  about  a  thousand  feet  up  stream,  may  be  seen  a 
fine  outcropping  of  basalt  broken  up  into  angular  bould-ars. 
Quantities  of  this  rock  have  been  crushed  for  use  on  the  roads. 

The  Gallatin  Range,  in  full  view,  has  many  exposures  of 
sedimentary  rocks,  lim-estone  and  sandstone. 

Along  the  front  of  Mounts  Holmes  and  Huntley  and  of  Trilo- 
bite  Point  are  exposures  of  the  Archaean  rocks,  granite  and 
gneiss. 

The  tourist  route  now  lies  almost  wholly  in  the  rhyolite 
rocks  until  Hayden  Valley  is  reached.  The  appearances  of 
this  rock  are  very  varied,  one  of  the  extreme  forms  being 
seen  in  Obsidian  Cliff.  In  some  places  the  rock  is  hard  and 
weathers  well,  but  as  a  general  thing  it  is  soft.    This  is  tbe 


GEOLOGICAL  HISTORY  OF  THE  PARK.  201 

case  in  the  picturesque  exposures  at  Virginia  Cascades  and  in 
the  Gibbon  Canon  above  the  falls,  although  at  the  sites  of  both 
these  cataracts  the  rock  is  hard  enough  to  resist  the  action 
of  the  water. 

All  over  the  high  plateau  the  road  work  has  encountered  a 
rock  which  is  largely  glassy  rhyolite  or  obsidian,  and  although 
it  can  be  removed  only  by  blasting,  it  crumbles  to  pieces  upon 
exposure.  This  characteristic  accounts  for  the  fact  that  in 
passing  through  the  forests  where  this  rock  mostly  abounds 
one  would  not  suspect  its  presence  except  by  digging  into  the 
ground.  This  condition  prevails  all  along  the  road  between 
Norris  and  the  Grand  Canon. 

Along  the  shore  of  the  Yellowstone  Lake  the  road  passes 
over  lacustrine  deposits  for  considerable  distances  which  were 
laid  down  when  the  lake  stood  at  its  ancient  level. 

Along  the  Yellowstone  River  from  Mud  Geyser  to  the  head 
of  the  rapids  the  road  lies  all  the  way  in  glacial  drift,  which 
indeed  extends  along  the  river  amid  outcroppings  of  rhyolite 
to  below  the  site  of  the  Grand  Caiion  Hotel. 

The  Grand  Canon  is  carved  through  decomposed  rhyolite. 

On  leaving  the  Grand  Canon  Hotel  for  Mt.  Washburn,  the 
road  across  the  undulating  plain  to  the  base  of  the  mountain 
lies  in  glacial  drift  which  overspreads  in  a  thin  coat  the  under- 
lying  rhyolite. 

Where  the  road  crosses  the  east  fork  of  Cascade  Creek  and 
begins  the  ascent  of  the  mountain  it  enters  the  area  of  ande- 
yite  rocks  in  the  form  of  the  early  basic  breccias. 

The  road  continues  in  this  rock  to  the  summit  of  the  moun- 
tain and  down  the  northern  slope  to  within  three  miles  of 
Tower  Creek  where  it  again  comes  into  an  area  of  rhyolite. 

Glacial  drift  Is  everywhere  found  in  the  lower  valley  of 
Tower  Creek. 

Andesites  compose  the  bed  of  the  Yellowstone  all  along  the 
lower  course  of  the  Grand  Caiion.  Below  Tower  Falls  this  is 
capped  by  a  conglomerate  of  "gneissic  and  andesitic  pebbles 
in  friable  sandstone,"  and  this  by  a  wonderful  wall  of  colum- 
nar basalt. 

Rising  from  the  bottom  of  the  caiion  a  mile  below  Tower 
Falls  is  a  stately,  Isolated  column  of  rock  that  has  resisted 


202  THE    YELLOWSTONE    NATIONAL    PAEK. 

the  wear  of  time.  It  is  260  feet  high,  but  does  not  rise  to  the 
level  of  the  basalt. 

The  road  from  the  Yellowstone  to  the  top  of  Crescent  hill 
divide  lies  mainly  in  the  early  acid  and  basic  breccias,  or 
andesltic  lavas. 

All  over  these  portions  of  the  Park,  beginning  on  the  north- 
ern slopes  of  Washburn  and  extending  east  to  Soda  Butte  the 
ground  Is  strewn  with  "specimens"  of  various  sorts — agate, 
chalcedony,  onyx,  Jasper,  garnets,  amethyst,  etc.  The  names 
Specimen  Ridge,  Garnet  Hill,  Amethyst  Creek  and  several 
others  took  their  rise  from  this  circumstance. 

The  ride  across  the  high  plateau  from  Crescent  Hill  to  the 
Gardiner  River  is  -everywhere  through  the  glacial  drift,  but 
With  frequent  outcroppings  of  rock  in  situ.  Basalt  and  early 
acid  breccias  (andesite)  are  prevailing  rocks,  with  an  out- 
cropping of  limestone  n-ear  the  crest  of  the  slope  descending 
to  Black-tail-deer  Creek. 

The  immediate  valley  of  this  stream  is  composed  of  rhyolite, 
but  the  basalt  recurs  again  along  the  east  Gardiner,  and  the 
beautiful  Undine  Falls  is  over  this  rock.  The  canon  for  a  con- 
siderable distance  along  the  hillside  below  the  falls  Is  carved 
out  of  the  same  material. 

From  the  high  ground  where  the  road  emerges  from  Cres^ 
cent  Hill  Canon  a  splendid  view  is  had  of  the  country  across 
the  Yellowstone  River.  The  mountains  there  are  composed 
mainly  of  Archaean  rocks,  and  in  these  are  found  the  only  gold 
and  silver  veins  In  the  Park. 


CHAPTER  III. 

GEYSERS. 

The  hot  springs  of  the  Yellowstone  National  Park  may 
be  roughly  divided  into  two  classes,  eruptive  and  non- 
eruptive.  To  the  first  the  term  geyser  is  applied,  while  the 
term  hot  springs  is  restricted  to  the  second.  Tiiese  two 
classes  pass  into  each  other  by  insensible  gradations  and 
the  line  of  demarcation  it  is  not  possible  to  draw.  The  fol- 
lowing description  will  pertain  only  to  those  examples 
about  which  there  is  no  doubt,  and  which  may  be  taken  as 
types  of  their  class. 

A  geyser  may  be  defined  as  a  periodically  eruptive  hot 
spring.  The  name,  as  might  be  expected,  is  of  Icelandic 
origin,  and  comes  from  the  verb  gcysa,  to  gush.  The  gen- 
eral characteristics  of  a  true  geyser,  as  illustrated  by  the 
most  perfect  example  known.  Old  Faithful  in  the  Yellow- 
stone Park,  are  the  following  : 

(1.)  There  is  an  irregular  tube  descending  from  the 
earth's  surface  to  some  interior  source  of  heat. 

(2.)  The  mouth  of  this  tube  may  be  either  a  self -built 
mound  or  cone  (as  in  the  example),  or  simply  an  open 
pool. 

(3.)  Into  this  tube  meteoric  water  finds  its  way  and  is 
subjected  to  the  action  of  heat. 

(4.)  The  result  is  an  eruption  and  expulsion  of  the 
water  from  the  tube  with  more  or  less  violence. 

(5.)  The  eruption  is  generally  preceded  by  slight  prelim- 
inary upheavals  leading  gradually  to  the  final  outburst. 

(6.)  After  cessation  of  the  eruption  there  is  a  heavy 
escape  of  steam. 


204  THE    YELLOWSTONE    NATIONAL    PARK. 

(7.)  A  quiescent  period,  generally  of  indeterminate  du- 
ration, follows  during  which  the  conditions  necessary  for 
an  eruption  are  reproduced. 

Geyser  phenomena  have  attracted  a  great  deal  of  scien- 
tific attention,  and  many  theories  have  been  advanced  to 
explain  them.  Passing  over  for  the  present  the  less  import- 
ant, attention  will  first  be  given  to  Bunsen's  theory,  because 
it  is,  upon  the  whole,  the  most  satisfactory  yet  advanced. 
This  theory  was  a  direct  deduction  from  observations  upon 
the  Great  Geyser  of  Iceland,  and  has  been  experimentally 
illustrated-  by  artificial  examples. 

The  fundamental  principle  upon  which  it  is  l)ased  is 
the  well  known  fact  that  the  temperature  of  the  boiling 
point  of  water  varies  with  the  pressure  to  which  the  water 
is  subjected.  At  the  sea  level,  under  the  pressure  of  one 
atmosphere  (fifteen  pounds  to  the  square  inch),  the  boiling 
point  is  about  212  degrees  Fahrenheit.  Under  a  pressure  of 
two  atmospheres  it  is  250  degrees;  of  three,  275  degrees;  of 
four,  293  degrees,  and  so  on.  At  an  altitude  like  that  of 
the  Park  plateau,  where  the  atmospheric  pressure  is  much 
less  than  at  sea  level,  the  normal  boiling  point  is  about  198 
degrees,  but  the  law  of  variation  due  to  pressure  conditions 
applies  exactly  as  in  lower  altitudes. 

If  water,  subjected  to  great  pressure,  be  heated  to  a 
temperature  considerably  above  that  of  its  normal  boiling 
point,  and  if  then  the  pressure  be  suddenly  relieved,  it  will 
almost  instantaneously  be  converted  into  steam;  a  fact 
which  always  operates  to  enhance  the  danger  from  the  ex- 
plosion  of  steam  boilers.  In  the  case  of  an  ordinary  geyser, 
it  is  readily  seen  that  in  the  long  irregular  tube  descending 
to  great  depths  there  are  present  the  necessary  conditions 
for  subjecting  the  water  to  great  pressure.  At  the  surface 
the  pressure  is  that  of  the  weight  of  the  atmosphere  cor- 


GEYSERS.  205 

responding  to  the  altitude;  at  a  certain  depth  below  (33 
feet  at  the  sea  level,  but  less  at  higher  altitudes)  it  is  twice 
as  great;  at  double  this  depth  three  times  as  great,  and 
so  on. 

Suppose,  now,  that  there  is  an  interior  heat  at  some 
point  along  the  geyser  tube  well  below  the  surface.  The 
boiling  point  of  water  in  the  vicinity  of  the  heat  supply 
\^nll  be  higher  than  at  the  surface  in  definite  relation  to  its 
distance  down.  If  the  tube  be  of  large  diameter  and  the 
circulation  quite  free,  the  water  will  never  reach  this  point, 
for  it  will  rise  nearer  the  top,  where  the  boiling  point  is 
lower  and  will  pass  off  in  steam.  The  spring  will  thus  be 
simply  a  boiling  or  quiescent  spring.  But  if  the  tube  be 
comparatively  small  and  if  the  circulation  be  in  any  way 
impeded,  the  temperature  at  tlie  source  of  heat  will  rise 
until  it  reaches  a  boiling  point  corresponding  to  its  depth. 
Steam  will  result,  and  will  rise  through  the  water,  grad- 
ually increasing  the  temperature  in  the  upper  portions  of 
the  tube.  After  a  time  the  water  throughout  the  entire 
tube  becomes  heated  nearly  to  the  boiling  point  and  can 
no  longer  condense  the  steam  rising  from  below,  which 
then  accumulates  until  its  expansive  power  is  great  enough 
to  lift  the  column  above  and  project  some  of  the  water 
from  the  tube.  This  lessens  the  weight  of  the  column  and 
relieves  the  pressure  at  every  point.  In  places  ^vliere  the 
water  had  been  just  below  the  boiling  point,  it  is  now  above, 
and  more  steam  is  rapidly  produced.  This  throws  out 
more  water,  still  further  lightens  the  column,  and  causes 
the  generation  of  more  steam,  until  finally  the  whole  con- 
tents of  the  tube  are  ejected  with  terrific  violence. 

From  this  explanation  it  is  apparent  that  anything 
which  impedes  the  circulation  of  water  in  the  geyser  tube 
will    expedite    the    eruption.     The  well-known  effect    of 


206  THE    YELLOWSTONE    KATIOXAL    PARK. 

"soaping  geysers'^  may  thus  be  accounted  for.  As  oil 
thro\\Ti  upon  waves  gives  a  viscosity  to  the  surface^  which 
greatly  moderates  their  violence^  so  the  addition  of  soap 
or  lye  makes  the  water  of  the  geyser  tube  less  free  to  cir- 
culate, and  thus  hastens  the  conditions  necessary  to  an 
eruption. 

The  apparently  contrar)^  process  of  violently  agitating 
the  water  of  the  geyser,  as  by  stirring  it  with  a  stick,  some- 
times produces  the  same  eifect;  but  this  results  from  the 
sudden  forcing  upward  of  masses  of  superheated  water, 
instead  of  allowing  them  to  rise  and  gradually  cool. 

That  Bunsen's  theory  really  explains  the  phenomena  of 
geyser  action  there  can  be  little  doubt.  It  is  true  that  in 
no  single  geyser  does  one  find  a  perfect  example  of  the 
theory.  But  it  must  be  remembered  that  tj'pical  conditions 
probably  never  exist.  The  point  of  application  of  heat; 
tlie  mode  of  application,  whether  from  the  heated  surface 
of  rocks  or  from  superheated  steam  issuing  into  the  tube; 
the  diameter  and  regularity  of  the  tube;  the  point  of  in- 
flow of  the  cold  water,  are  all  matters  which  influence  the 
eruption  and  determine  its  character.  In  the  endless 
^^ariety  of  conditions  in  nature  one  need  not  wonder  at  the 
varying  results.  He  should  rather  wonder  that  in  a  single 
instance  nature  has  produced  a  combination  of  such  per- 
fection as  is  found  in  Old  Faithful,  which,  for  thousands 
of  years  has  performed  its  duty  with  the  regularity  of  clock 
work. 

There  are  various  other  theories,  each  with  some  partic- 
ular merit,  which  may  be  briefly  referred  to.  Sir  George 
Mackenzie,  who  visited  Iceland  in  1810-11,  thought  the 
geyser  tube  at  some  point  beneath  the  surface  curved  to  one 
side  and  then  upward,  communicating  with  a  chamber  in 
the  immediate  vicinity  of  the  source  of  heat.    The  water 


GEYSERS.  207 

in  this  chamber  becomes  heated  above  the  boiling  point, 
and,  expanding,  forces  the  water  into  the  tube  until  the 
chamber  is  finally  emptied  to  the  level  of  its  outlet.  Any 
further  expulsion  of  water  lessens  the  weight  of  the  column 
above.  Bunsens  theory  comes  into  play,  and  with  the 
accumulated  pressure  of  the  steam  in  the  chamber,  pro- 
duces a  violent  eruption. 

Prof.  Comstock,  who  visited  the  Park  in  1873,  thought 
that  there  were  two  chambers,  the  lower  being  in  contact 
with  the  source  of  heat,  and  the  upper  acting  as  a  sort  of 
trap  in  the  geyser  tube.  After  a  sufficient  force  of  steam 
has  accumulated  in  the  lower  chamber,  it  ejects  the  con- 
tents of  the  chamber  above. 

S.  Baring-Gould,  who  visited  Iceland  in  1863,  observed 
that  if  a  tube  be  bent  into  two  arms  of  unequal  length,  the 
shorter  of  which  is  closed,  and  if  the  tube  be  filled  with 
water  and  the  shorter  arm  then  heated,  all  the  character- 
istic phenomena  of  geyser  action  result,  the  water  being 
finally  ejected  with  explosive  violence  from  the  longer  tube. 

Xow,  it  is  probable  that  in  nature  each  of  these  theories 
may  find  illustration^  but  it  must  still  be  acknowledged 
that  in  all  cases  Bunsens  tlicory  is  the  partial  explanation,' 
and  in  many  the  only  adequate  one. 

The  most  superficial  examination  of  the  geysers  in  the 
Park  will  disclose  two  widely  different  classes  as  regards 
their  external  aj)pcarance  and  mode  of  eruption — the  foun- 
tain geysers  and  the  cone  geysers. 

In  the  fountain  geyser  there  is  no  cone  or  mound,  but  in 
its  place  a  considerable  pool,  which  in  intervals  of  rest  bears 
a  perfect  resemblance  to  the  larger  quiescent  springs.  The 
eruption  generally  consists  of  a  succession  of  prodigious 
impulses  by  which  large  masses  of  water  are  thrown  up 
one  after  another.    There  is  ordinarily  no  continuous  jet. 


208  THE    YELLOWSTONE    NATIONAL   PARK. 

To  geysers  of  this  class,  Mackenzie's  and  Comstock's  theo- 
ries would  seem  to  find  closer  application  than  to  any  oth- 
ers. Noted  examples  are  the  Fountain,  the  Great  Foun- 
tain, the  Grand  and  the  Giantess  Geysers. 

The  cone  geysers,  on  the  other  hand,  have  no  pool  about 
the  crater  and  water  is  not  generally  visible  in  the  tube. 
There  is  always  a  self -built  cone  or  mound  of  greater  or 
less  prominence,  ranging  from  a  broad,  gently-sloping 
mound,  like  that  of  Old  Faithful,  to  a  huge  cone  like  that 
of  the  Castle.  The  eruptions  from  these  geysers  usually 
lake  the  form  of  a  continuous  jet,  and  are  more  in  accord- 
ance with  the  theory  of  Bunsen.  Prominent  examples  are 
the  Giant,  Castle,  Old  Faithful,  Lone  Star  and  Union. 

An  interesting  and  singular  fact  pertaining  to  this  re- 
gion is  that  in  most  cases  the  springs  and  geysers  have  no 
underground  connection  with  each  other.  Water  in  con- 
tiguous pools  stands  at  different  levels,  and  powerful  gey- 
sers play  with  no  apparent  effect  upon  others  near  by. 

It  is  another  interesting  question  to  know  whence  comes 
the  water  for  these  geysers  and  hot  springs.  Into  the  hid- 
den caverns  of  "Old  Faithful"  flow  perhaps  a  quarter  of 
a  million  gallons  per  hour.  This  is  a  large  stream,  but  it 
is  a  mere  trifle  compared  with  the  entire  outflow  of  hot 
water  throughout  the  Park.  The  subterranean  passages  by 
which  the  necessary  supply  is  furnished  to  all  these  thou- 
sands of  springs,  certainly  constitute  the  most  intricate 
and  extensive  system  of  water-works  of  which  there  is  any 
knowledge. 

Xot  the  least  wonderful  of  the  features  of  the  great  gey- 
sers are  the  marvelous  formations  which  surround  them, 
more  exquisitely  beautiful  than  any  production  of  art". 
Tliey  are  much  finer  than  those  to  be  found  around  the 
ordinary  quiescent  springs.    The  falling  or  dashing  of  the 


Cone  and  Fountain  Geysers  (Old  Faithful    and   the  Great 
Fountain). 


GEYSERS.  209 

hot  water  seems  to  bo  essential  to  the  most  perfect  results. 
To  say  that  tht'se  rocky  formations  simulate  cauliflower, 
sponge,  fleeces  of  wool,  flowers  or  bead-work,  conveys  but 
a  feeble  idea  of  their  marvelous  beauty.  It  is  indeed  a 
most  interesting  fact  that  nature  here  produces  in  stone, 
by  the  process  of  deposition,  the  identical  forms  elsewhere 
produced  by  the  Yery  different  processes  of  animal  and 
vegetable  life. 

These  formations  are  all  silica  and  are  of  flinty  hard- 
ness. Bunsen,  and  Prof.  Le  Conte  following  him,  assert  it 
to  be  a  rule  that  the  presence  of  silica  in  the  water  is  essen- 
tial to  the  development  of  a  geyser.  In  one  sense  this  is 
true,  and  in  another  it  is  not.  Should  the  heated  waters 
find  a  ready-made  tube,  like  a  fissure  in  solid  rock,  this 
would  serve  for  a  geyser  tube  as  well  as  any  other.  The 
Monarch  Geyser,  in  Xorris  Geyser  Basin,  seems  to  have 
originated  in  this  way.  But  in  the  general  case,  geyser 
tubes  are  built  up,  not  found  ready  made.  In  such  cases 
silica  is  an  indispensable  ingredient  of  the  water.  A  cal- 
careous deposit,  like  that  at  Mammoth  Hot  Springs,  would 
lack  strength  to  resist  the  violent  strain  of  an  eruption. 
So  it  is  found  to  be  a  fact  that  silica  is  the  chief  mineral  in 
the  water  of  all  important  geysers. 


(9*) 


CHAPTER  IT. 

HOT  SPRINGS  AXD  KINDRED  FEATURES. 

Under  this  general  head  will  be  included  all  the  various 
forms  of  thermal  activity  in  the  Park  except  the  geysers, 
viz. :  the  quiescent  springs,  boiling  springs,  mud  springs 
or  paint  pots,  the  steam  vents  and  fumaroles. 

QUIESCENT  SPRINGS. 

The  quiescent  spring  stands  at  the  opposite  pole  from 
the  geyser.  The  conditions  are  such  that  the  water  no- 
where reaches  the  boiling  point,  and  the  surface  steams 
quietly  away  unruffled  except  by  the  passing  breeze. 
There  is  not  the  smallest  suggestion  of  the  turbulence  and 
violent  energy  of  the  geyser,  but  its  whole  behavior  is  list- 
less and  peaceful.  In  keeping  with  this  character  is  the 
inimitable  beauty  of  its  soft  blue  waters.  It  is  not  simply 
the  beautiful  hue  of  gTeat  depths  of  clear  water.  In  ordi- 
nary pools,  however  deep  and  clear,  one  does  not  find  all 
the  colors  of  the  spectrum,  flitting  about,  as  though  seen 
through  a  revolving  prism.  Sometimes  there  is  aa  iri- 
descent effect  similar  to  that  of  a  film  of  oil  upon  water; 
but  there  is  no  oil  here.  There  are  doubtless  many  con- 
triliuting  causes  that  produce  these  remarkable  effects. 
There  is  first  a  great  depth  of  clear  water  which  always 
presents  a  beautiful  appearance.  Then  there  are  the  min- 
eral deposits  on  the  sides  of  the  crater,  producing  indefinite 
reflection,  the  effects  of  which  are  multiplied  by  the  refrac- 
tive power  of  the  water.  The  mineral  ingredients  dis- 
solved or  suspended  in  the  water  doubtless  add  to  the  effect. 

The  rirds  about  the  quiescent  springs  are  often  very 


HOT  SPRINGS  AND   KINDRKD  FEATURES.  211 

beautiful,  and  the  observer  is  astonislied  to  see  how  they 
stand  up  above  the  general  surface  of  the  ground  so  evenly 
built  that  the  water  has  hardly  a  choice  of  route  in  flowing 
away.  Tyndall,  however,  makes  this  puzzling  phenomenon 
clear.    He  says: 

"Imagine  the  case  of  a  simple  thermal  siliceous  spring, 
whose  waters  trickle  down  a  gentle  incline;  the  water  thus 
exposed  evaporates  speedily,  and  silica  is  deposited.  This 
deposit  gradually  elevates  the  side  over  which  the  water 
passes,  until  finally  the  latter  has  to  take  another  course. 
The  same  takes  place  here ;  the  ground  is  elevated  as  before, 
and  the  spring  has  to  move  forward.  Thus  it  is  compelled 
to  travel  round  and  round,  discharging  its  silica  and  deep- 
ening the  shaft  in  which  it  dwells,  until  finally,  in  the 
course  of  ages,  the  simple  spring  has  produced  that  won- 
derful apparatus  which  has  so  long  puzzled  and  astonished 
both  the  traveler  and  the  philosopher.^' 

What  will  astonish  the  visitor  even  more  is  the  fact  that 
this  building  up  is  often  the  result  of  vegetable  growth. 
The  heat  of  the  water  would  seem  incompatible  witli  the 
existence  of  life  within  it ;  but  it  is  not  so.  Low  forms  of 
algous  growth  abound  in  nearly  all  the  springs  where  tlie 
tem.perature  is  below  185  degrees  Fahrenheit.  The  soft, 
slippery,  colored  substance  that  borders  many  of  the  springs 
and  the  rivulets  which  flow  from  them  is  a  form  of  vege- 
table life — very  elementar}^  it  is  true,  but  still  life. 

These  algous  groT\i;hs  are  even  considered  as  one  of  the 
most  important  agencies  in  causing  the  deposition  of  the 
mineral  ingredients  of  the  waters.  This  deposition  takes 
place  mainly,  however,  as  a  result  of  evaporation.  It  is 
generally  supposed  that  it  results  from  cooling,  but  this  is 
true  only  to  a  small  extent.  Water  from  the  springs  has 
been  kept  for  years  and  reduced  nearly  to  the  freezing  point 


212  THE    YELLOWSTONE    NATIONAL    PARK. 

without  deposition:  but,  singularly  enough,  actual  freezing 
forces  it  to  give  up  its  mineral  ingredients. 

As  in  the  case  of  the  gej^sers,  so  in  that  of  these  quiescent 
springs,  there  is  an  almost  infinite  variety;  but  popular 
interest  attaches  mainly  to  those  like  the  Morning  Glory, 
which  are  such  gems  of  beauty  tliat  they  stand  unrivaled 
among  the  works  of  nature  or  art.  There  are  several  ex- 
amples of  this  higher  order  in  the  Park.  The  Morning 
Glory  is  the  most  beautiful  in  the  Upper  Geyser  Basin. 
Prismatic  Lake  and  Turquoise  Pool  in  the  Midway  Basin 
are  the  largest  in  the  Park.  There  is  a  very  beautiful  one 
on  the  west  shore  of  the  Yellowstone  Lake  a  hundred  yards 
from  the  road  junction. 

The  celebrated  Mammoth  Hot  Springs  on  the  Gardiner 
River  are  quite  different  from  those  in  any  other  part  of 
the  Park,  although  in  the  matchless  beauty  of  coloring  they 
resemble  and  possibly  excel  the  finer  examples  in  the  geyser 
basins.  The  water  of  these  springs,  as  already  explained, 
holds  carbonate  of  lime  in  solution,  while  most  of  the  oth- 
ers contain  silica.  To  this  fact  must  be  attributed  the  pecu- 
liar character  of  the  formations  at  Mammoth  Hot  Springs. 
WTierever  the  deposits  of  springs  are  calcareous,  the  char- 
acter of  the  formations  is  different  from  those  produced  by 
the  deposit  of  silica.  They  rise  in  terraces  one  above  an- 
other, and  mold  for  themselves  overhanging  bowls  of  tran- 
scendent beauty  in  form  and  color. 

The  quantity  of  mineral  matter  held  in  these  calcareous 
waters  is  astonishing,  and  its  rate  of  deposition  is  very 
rapid.  Consequently,  the  growth  of  the  "formation"  is 
rapid,  and  beautiful  bowls  and  terraces  are  built  up  in  one 
or  two  seasons.  The  rapidity  of  deposit  is  so  great  that 
commercial  advantage  is  taken  of  it,  and  a  licensed  resi- 
dent of  the  Park  makes  his  living  by  coating  specimens  in 


HOT  SPKIXGS  AND  KINDRED  FEATURES.  213 

these  springs  and  selling  them  to  the  public.  He  would 
soon  go  out  of  business  if  compelled  to  await  the  slow  pro- 
cess of  the  silica  waters. 

But  if  the  growth  of  these  deposits  is  rapid,  their  per- 
manence is  unfortunately  much  less  than  that  of  other 
formations.  The  subterranean  channels  are  weak  and  give 
way  easily  to  pressure.  New  outlets  break  forth  and  the 
general  history  of  the  springs  is  that  of  constant  change. 
IIow  extensive  and  rapid  this  has  been  in  the  past  is  evi- 
denced l)y  the  presence  of  many  well  grown  trees  whicli 
are  still  standing,  though  killed  and  partly  buried  by  the 
deposit. 

There  are  many  other  forms  of  quiescent  springs 
throughout  the  Park.  Some  are  simple  open  pools,  filled 
with  turbid  water,  exhibiting  no  beauty  or  attractiveness. 
Others  are  densely  muddy  and  positively  repulsive.  In  the 
lower  geyser  basin  there  is  an  extensive  pond  or  lake  of 
hot  water,  besides  several  of  smaller  size,  in  all  of  whicli 
the  water  has  a  dark,  almost  black,  color.  It  is  one  of 
these  springs  that  is  called  the  Firehole,  from  the  appear- 
ance of  a  lambent  light  blue  flame  beneath  the  water, 
caused  by  the  escape  of  superheated  steam  from  a  fissure  in 
the  rock. 

BOILING  SPRINGS. 

The  boiling  spring  is  intermediate  between  the  quiescent 
spring  and  the  geyser.  The  circulation  is  sufficiently  free 
to  prevent  a  great  rise  of  temperature  in  the  lower  depths 
of  the  tube,  and  nothing  more  than  a  surface  ebullition, 
often  extremely  violent,  results.  Tliese  springs  are  gener- 
ally objects  of  secondary  interest.  They  are  simply  enorm- 
ous caldrons,  but  in  some  instances  they  exhibit  peculiari- 
ties which  are  very  interesting.     Several   of  them  show 


214  THE    YELLOWSTONE    NATIONAL    PAEK. 

a  geyseric  tendenc}^,  in  which  the  eruptive  force  is  expended 
before  it  can  produce  any  decisive  result.  Among  the  more 
important  of  these  features  is  Beryl  Spring,  in  the  Gibbon 
Caiion,  on  the  right  bank  of  the  river,  close  to  the  road.  It 
discharges  a  large  volume  of  hot  water.  There  is  another 
and  larger  spring  in  the  valley  of  the  Gibbon  near  its  mouth 
and  close  by  the  side  of  the  road  leading  into  the  Park 
from  the  west.  There  are  several  of  these  springs  in  the 
Firehole  Geyser  basins.  Excelsior  Geyser,  from  its  very 
infrequent  eruptions,  may  more  properly  be  considered  a 
boiling  spring.  The  quantity  of  water  that  it  discharges 
is  immense.  Xorris  Geyser  Basin  has  a  few  of  these 
springs,  though  none  of  particular  interest.  On  the  west 
shore  of  the  Yellowstone  Lake,  near  the  road  way,  is  a  large 
boiling  spring,  the  waters  of  which  have  a  faint  muddy 
tinge.  Perhaps  the  most  interesting  feature  of  this  class 
in  the  Park  is  Sulphur  Spring,  a  pseudo-geyser  at  the  west 
base  of  Sulphur  Mountain.  Its  ebulUtion  is  extremely 
spasmodic  and  violent,  but  the  discharge  of  water  very 
small.  It  is  heavily  charged  vrith.  sulphur  and  the  rim  of 
the  pool  and  edges  of  the  stream  carrying  the  overflow  are 
bordered  with  brilliant  yellow. 

Between  the  true  quiescent  spring  and  the  boiling  spring 
there  is  every  gradation.  The  various  examples  can  be 
numbered  by  the  thousands  and  no  two  are  alike.  Every 
spring  has  its  own  individual  character. 

"frying  pan'^  springs. 

A  peculiar  phenomenon  to  which  it  is  diflficult  to  assign 
a  distinctive  name,  is  exemplified  in  the  feature  called  the 
'M)eviFs  Frying  Pan,^^  three  miles  north  of  the  Xorris 
Geyser  Basin.  It  is  a  true  reproduction,  upon  a  large  scale, 
of  the  appearance  of  the  ordinary  frying  pan.     This  phe- 


HOT  SPRINGS  AND  KINDRED  FEATURES.  215 

nomenon  has  a  wide  distribution,  and  something  resem- 
bling it  may  be  found  in  certain  pools  or  lakes,  the  bottoms 
of  which  are  apparently  full  of  the  bubbling  vents.  The 
most  striking  example  is  Turbid  Lake,  which  lies  a  short 
distance  from  the  east  shore  of  the  Yellowstone  Lake.  It 
is  a  considerable  body  of  water,  at  least  half  a  mile  across, 
and  is  fed  by  the  purest  streams  of  the  mountains.  But 
nearly  its  entire  bottom  is  overspread  with  these  vents,  and 
the  steam  and  gas  from  them  escape  in  feeble  bubbles  at 
the  top.  The  whole  appearance  is  like  that  of  a  tub  of 
water  that  has  been  used  in  washing.  The  outlet  of  the 
lake  is  a  turbid  stream,  not  capable  of  sustaining  fish. 

MUD  SPRINGS. 

A  very  characteristic  and  interesting  class  of  phenomena 
are  the  mud  springs  that  abound  in  all  parts  of  the  Park. 
They  present  an  almost  endless  variety  of  form  and  aspect, 
but  there  are  only  two  that  need  now  detain  us — the  "paint 
pots'^  and  the  eruptive  springs,  like  the  Mud  Geyser  on  the 
Yellowstone  Eiver. 

The  mud  springs,  or  Paint  Pots,  as  they  are  now  always 
called,  are  extremely  curious  phenomena.  They  are  caused 
by  the  rising  of  steam  through  considerable  depths  of 
earthy  material.  The  water  is  just  sufficient  in  quantity 
to  keep  the  material  in  a  plastic  condition,  and  the  steam 
operates  upon  it  precisely  as  it  doc^s  upon  a  kettle  of  thick 
mush.  Generally  there  are  various  mineral  ingredients, 
mostly  oxides  of  iron,  which  impart  different  colors  to  dif- 
ferent parts  of  the  group.  As  the  steam  puffs  up  here  and 
there  from  the  thick  mass,  it  forms  the  mud  into  a  variety 
of  imitative  figures,  prominent  among  which  is  that  of  the 
lily.  These  figures  immediately  sink  back  into  the  general 
niass,  only  to  be  formed  anew  by  other  puJffs  of  steam.    The 


216  THE    YELLOWSTONE    XATIO^AL    TAUJl. 

material  is  so  fine  as  to  be  almost  impalpable  between  the 
fingers.  Lieutenant  Doane,  however,  justly  observes  that 
"mortar  might  well  be  good  after  being  constantly  worked 
for  perhaps  ten  thousand  years."  This  "mortar'  has  ac- 
tually been  used  with  good  results  in  "calsomining"^  walls. 

The  Paint  Pots,  in  one  form  or  another,  are  found  in 
a  great  many  situations,  but  there  are  only  three  localities 
where  they  are  grouped  in  sufficient  number  to  attract  es- 
pecial interest.  These  are  the  Gibbon  Paint  Pots  on  the 
border  of  the  Gibbon  Meadows,  east  of  the  road,  rarely  seen 
by  tourists;  the  Mammoth  Paint  Pots  directly  in  front  of 
the  Fountain  Hotel  and  near  the  Fountain  Geyser,  and  a 
group  on  the  west  shore  of  the  Yellowstone  Lake,  near  the 
road  junction. 

Mud  Geyser  (or  Mud  Volcano,  as  it  was  originally  and 
more  properly  called)  is  considered  by  many  the  most 
extraordinary  and  wonderful  natural  feature  in  the  Park. 
In  point  of  beauty  it  stands  at  the  antipodes  of  the  quies- 
cent pool.  It  is  uncanny,  repulsive  and  suggestive  of 
everjihing  horrible  and  uncouth.  A  similar  feature  to  that 
just  described  is  found  in  the  Devil's  Inkstand,  on  the 
northern  face  of  Mt.  Washburn. 

STEAM   VENTS. 

The  steam  vents  exhibit  still  another  striking  form  of 
thermal  phenomena  in  the  Park.  They  exist  where  surface 
water  is  apparently  lacking  and  where  there  is  a  vast  quan- 
tity of  steam  generated  far  below.  The  result  is  that  there 
is  no  accumulation  of  water  in  the  tube,  which  might  even- 
tuate in  an  eruption,  but  it  is  all  blo-^vn  out  in  fine  mist 
as  fast  as  it  runs  in.  The  most  prominent  example  is  in 
Norris  Geyser  Basin  where,  witliin  a  small  area,  there  are 
several  of  these  vents.     For  many  years  the  Growler  and 


HOT  SPRINGS  AND  KINDRED  FEATURES:  217 

Hurricane  held  the  record  as  steam  producers,  but  lately 
they  have  yielded  a  part  of  their  vigor  to  a  new  vent  which 
exliibits  greater  power  than  either  of  its  predecessors.  The 
force  of  the  steam  as  it  comes  from  these  vents  is  terrific. 
A  large  quantity  of  water  is  blown  out  in  the  form  of  mist 
and  the  rain  that  falls  on  the  leeward  side  of  the  steam 
column  is  like  the  perpetual  shower  at  the  base  of  Niagara. 
Roaring  Mountain  has  one  of  these  powerful  vents  near 
the  summit.  There  is  another  large  one  on  the  east  shore 
of  the  Yellowstone  Lake,  called  Steamboat  Spring,  and 
there  are  many  smaller  ones  in  different  localities. 

FUMAROLES. 

The  fumaroles  are  small  vents  from  which  the  steam 
escapes  quietly  and  without  any  marked  exhibition  of  force. 
They  are  found  all  over  the  Park,  but  it  is  only  in  cold, 
damp  weather  when  the  steam  is  rapidly  condensed,  that 
their  actual  frequency  can  be  appreciated. 

SPRINGS. 

Many  of  the  stream  sources  throughout  the  Park  are 
warm.  Springs  that  have  every  appearance  of  being  cold 
are  often  found,  upon  examination,  to  have  temperatures 
far  above  the  normal  for  spring  water.  In  fact,  the  whole 
country  is  in  a  heated  condition  near  the  surface,  and  the 
evidences  thereof  are  so  numerous  and  frequent  that  they 
cease  to  attract  attention  from  those  who  are  familiar  with 
them. 

Eeference  has  already  been  made  to  the  fact  that  mineral 
ingredients  in  the  hot  springs  of  the  plateau  are  composed 
mainly  of  silica,  while  those  at  Mammoth  Hot  Springs  are 
nearly  pure  travertine.  The  hot  waters  in  the  latter  case 
have  decomposed  the  underlying  limestone  which  are  here 
near  the  surface,  whereas  farther  out  in  the  Park  the  min- 

(10 


218  THE    YELLOWSTOXE    NATIONAL    PARK. 

eral  ingredients  come  almost  exclusively  from  the  lavas  in 
which  there  is  only  a  trace  of  carbonic  acid.  This  differ- 
ence in  composition  produces  the  great  difference  in  the 
superficial  appearance  of  the  deposits.  Xothing  could 
be  more  unlike  than  the  formations  at  Mammoth  Hot 
Springs  and  those  around  the  Great  Fountain  or  Old  Faith- 
ful Geyser ;  yet  each  in  its  way  is  a  transcendently  beautiful 
specimen  of  nature^s  handiwork. 

The  temperature  of  the  thermal  springs  of  the  Park 
varies  all  the  way  from  cold  spring  water  up  to  the  boiling 
point,  198  degrees.  In  the  geysers  it  rises  above  the  boil- 
ing point,  though,  from  the  nature  of  the  case,  the  measur- 
ing of  such  temperature  is  practically  impossible.  In  a 
few  instances  temperatures  of  200  degrees  have  been  re- 
corded. 

The  following  table  gives  an  analysis  of  the  principal 
waters  of  the  Park.  It  is  the  work  of  the  Chemical  Labo- 
ratory of  the  United  States  Geological  Survey,  and  was 
performed  by  Frank  Austin  Gooch  and  James  Edward 
Whitfield: 


HOT  SPRINGS  AND  KINDRED  FEATURES. 


d    O 


Q 


^  ^  ?i 

£.  -•  M 

?  O  " 

re  o 


90 


3    <5    rt) 


'Tj  n. 


p  p  p 

Jo  K>  di 

v£)  Oi  O 

On  O  fO 


OOOCOOOtiO 


00    ii 


4^    4^ 

ON      w 

00    00 

c/1    o 


o    c 

OJ    Ca 

0>     i-i 


P  p  p 

b  b  b 

0>  M  K) 

00  ^  ^ 

C/1  00  -H 


p   p    o 
b   b   b 


c    o 
b    b 


0000 


o    o 

OO  vT)      K)     On 
^J    Cn    Oj    ^-I 


a\  OJ 

4^    Cn 


Silica. 


Sulphuric  Acid. 


p  p 

OJ  OJ 


p 
b 

o  oi  o 


w  o  OJ 

0  OD  00 

01  vO   K> 
Cn  -P^  Cn 


K)  bO 

«  OJ 

c  o 


o  o 

Cn  ON 


Carbonic  Acid. 


poo 
b   b    b 

•-I      fO      i-l 

-f^   vD    -fi. 
vO     O    On 


p    O    p 
b   b   b 


p   p 
b   b 


o    o 


p    o 
b   b 


Boracic  Acid. 


0000000000 


-    o 


Arsenious  Acid. 


0000000000 


l-H  0>  OJ 

\o  o  00 

OJ  4^  VsD 

<J\  U\  -1^ 


4i-    OJ    ><t 

O    VsO    \D 

00    «    OJ 


OJ    OJ 
Ca    OJ 

O    Oj 
00  ^ 


U\      OS 

-P'    o 
O    01 


p  o 

b  w 

Oj  »-j 

C/i  vO 


000 
^  00  OJ 
GO  O  ON 
M    -J    4^ 


000 

b    b    b 


p   p 
b   b 


o    c 


«    O     Ol      fO     -P». 


ON  VO 

00  4^ 


Chlorine. 


Basic  Oxygen. 


P  P  &5 
000 
fD     fD     fD 


r^-     rt-     P 

p  p  § 

O     O     2 


r^  P  r^ 

■f  n  '^ 

p  2  P 

o  S  o 

o  R  n> 


000000000 


goo 

•^       ON   4^ 

O    VO    v£) 


Iron. 


to 


^000000 


o    o 
b   b 


^j    cn     M    ^J 


8»0   Oj 
OJ    o 

10    Cn     On 


Aluminum, 


Calcium. 


000 

8  8  8 


8  8 


O     10    to 


0  p    c 

b  b    c 

0  Ov  ^J 

O  Oj     KJ 

M  to    VO 


Magnesium. 


000 

o    b    b 
10   10  4^ 

vO    OJ     c 


00000 


0     0  0 

K)   Oj  M 

Ov    K)  4^ 

^    Cn  Cn 


o  o 

Oj  ^-i 

"<I  4i- 

vO  Cn 


000 
4:*.    to    tn 

1-1   Oj     w 
Cn     00    --I 


Potassium. 


O    0    o    c    o 


OJ  Oj  Oj 
00  -1  -Pi. 
Cn  I-I  Cn 
OJ     00    M 


OJ    -P^    OJ 

ON     «     OJ 
ON     00   01 


9   ? 

OJ   Oj 


VjD     .f*.    VI    vO 

O     On  tn   vO 


Sodium. 


219 


i 


a 


CHAPTER  V. 

FAUNA  OF   THE   YELLOWSTONE. 

The  big  game  animals  that  were  found  throughout  the 
United  States  when  settlement  took  possession  of  the 
country,  have  disappeared  except  from  a  few  favored  local- 
ities. Driven  back  into  the  swamps  and  mountain^  they 
still  survive  there  in  some  degree  of  safety.  The  noblest 
of  them  all,  the  buffalo,  has  long  since  been  practically 
exterminated  and  most  of  the  other  large  species  have 
drifted  rapidly  in  the  'same  direction.  The  better  senti- 
ment of  the  country  deplores  this  unhappy  fate,  and  in 
recent  years  there  has  grown  up  a  determined  purpose  to 
avert  it. 

Two  things  are  necessary  to  this  end — efficient  game 
laws  and  ample  game  preserves.  The  first  rests  largely 
with  the  individual  States  and  the  second  with  the  general 
government.  The  many  forest  reserves  which  the  govern- 
ment has  created  are  practically  game  preserves  also,  by 
virtue  of  the  exclusion  of  settlement;  and  if  the  States  in 
which  they  are  located  will  but  enact  and  enforce  efficient 
game  laws,  the  perpetuation  of  the  native  fauna  will  be 
amply  ensured. 

The  most  important  of  all  these  game  preserves,  both 
on  account  of  its  extent  and  the  laws  and  regulations 
governing  it,  is  the  Yellowstone  Park.  The  x\ct  of  Dedi- 
cation recognized  its  function  in  this  respect,  and  the  Pro- 
tective Act  of  1894  made  it  definite  and  specific.  It  is 
admirably  fitted  by  nature  for  this  particular  purpose. 
It  offers  little  in  a  commercial  way  to  tempt  the  cupidity 


FAUNA  OF  THE  YELLOWSTONE.  221 

of  man.  Its  mineral  wealth  is  buried  so  deeply  under  the 
lava  that  no  miner  will  ever  reveal  it.  Its  altitude  and 
climate  unfit  it  for  agriculture.  Its  forests  are  of  little 
value  for  lumber.  But  as  a  home  for  the  native  species 
of  the  continent  it  possesses  unrivaled  advantages. 

"The  broad  expanse  of  forest  incloses  sequestered  nooks, 
and  enticing  grassy  parks,  with  absolute  seclusion  in 
mountain  recesses  admirably  adapted  for  the  homes  of 
wild  animals.  It  is  the  great  diversity  of  its  physical  fea- 
tures, offering  within  a  restricted  area  all  the  require- 
ments for  animal  life,  which  fits  it  for  the  home  of  big 
game.  Abundant  food  supply,  shelter  from  wind  and 
weather  in  winter,  cool  resorts  on  the  uplands  in  summer, 
favorable  localities  for  breeding  purposes  and  the  rearing 
of  young,  all  are  found  here.  The  Park  supplies  what  is 
really  needed — a  zoological  reservation  where  big  game 
may  roam  unmolested  by  the  intrusion  of  man,  rather 
than  a  zoological  garden  inclosed  by  fences,  and  the  game 
fed  or  sustained  more  or  less  by  artificial  methods."  * 

It  is  a  matter  of  regret  that  the  many  years  of  lax  ad- 
ministration in  the  early  history  of  the  Park  largely  nulli- 
fied its  purposes  as  a  game  preserve.  Killing  of  wild  ani- 
mals within  its  borders  was  not  entirely  prohibited  until 
1883,  and  the  restricted  license  previously  in  force  was 
shamefully  abused.  Some  of  the  larger  species  were 
greatly  reduced  iix  numbers,  while  in  a  few  instances  they 
were  nearly  exterminated.  In  later  years,  particularly 
since  the  legislation  of  1894,  the  elk,  deer,  bear  and  beaver 
have  rapidly  regained  their  former  numbers,  and  there  18 
now  not  the  smallest  reason  to  apprehend  their  extinction. 
The  outlook  f'^r  the  antelope  and  mountain  sheep  is  good 


*  "The  Yellowstone  National  Park  as  a  Game  Preserve,"  by 
Pr.  ArPAld  Hague, 


222  THE   YELLOWSTOXE    NATIONAL    PARK. 

though  not  so  flattering.  The  buffalo  and  moose  are 
nearly  gone,  with  no  prospect  of  restoration  except 
through  the  direct  agency  of  man  in  addition  to  his  work 
of  protection.  The  smaller  species — gophers,  squirrels, 
woodchucks,  etc., — flourish  in  great  numbers.  The  birds 
have  never  suffered  from  poaching  and  the  fishes  have 
multiplied  extensively  since  the  Park  was  created.  The 
killing  of  any  of  the  species  except  fish  is  absolutely  for- 
bidden and  it  is  an  interesting  fact  that  this  protection  is 
fully  understood  by  the  animals  themselves.  They  ex- 
hibit a  familiarity  and  fearlessness  in  the  Park  which  is  a 
distinct  advance  from  their  native  condition. 

MA:M]SrALS. 

To  enumerate  the  species  which  do,  or  may,  flourish  in 
the  Park  Avould  be  to  give  a  list  of  the  fauna  of  the  Eocky 
j\rountains.  Among  the  mammals,  interest  naturally  first 
attaches  to  the  buffalo.  That  noble  animal  is  part  and 
parcel  of  the  pioneer  history  of  our  country,  and  its  sud- 
den disappearance,  as  if  some  unseen  hand  had  swept  it 
from  the  earth,  has  been  a  theme  of  universal  regret. 
Only  a  very  few  are  left  and  the  most  of  these  are  in  pri- 
vate herds.  The  Park  has  the  only  herd  that  still  roams 
in  its  native  freedom,  but  unhappily  it  seems  doomed  to 
extinction  except  through  some  heroic  measure  of  relief. 
The  fact  that  Congress  has  taken  a  hand  in  its  preserva- 
tion and  has  made  a  special  appropriation  to  that  end  is 
a  significant  proof  of  the  high  value  set  upon  the  per- 
peituity  of  this  species.* 


♦  The  present  purpose  is  to  capture  and  corral  the  native 
herd  in  a  situation  where  the  winter  snows  arc  not  so  deep 
as  in  their  present  home  in  the  Pelican  Valley;  to  introduce 
new  blood  from  the  few  remaining  private  herds;  to  provide 


tAUNA  OF  THE  YELLOWSTONE.  223 

That  other  animal  which  has  borne  such  a  part  in  the 
frontier  history  of  our  country,  and  has  been  of  more  im- 
portance in  the  commercial  world  than  all  the  other  wild 
animals  combined,  is  happily  in  a  most  flourishing  condi- 
tion in  the  Park.  The  American  beaver  abounds  in  nearly 
all  the  streams  and  evidences  of  its  work  are  everywhere 
present.  Here,  better  than  in  any  other  place  in  the  world, 
the  interesting  life  of  this  wonderful  animal  can  be 
studied;  for  it,  too,  feels  that  it  is  safe,  and  that  the  pres- 
ence of  man  does  not  mean  its  destruction. 

The  third  in  "the  alliterative  trio  of  the  most  important 
American  wild  beasts,  the  bear,  is  likewise  safe  from  even 
remote  danger  of  extinction.  These  animals  are  now  to  be 
seen  in  every  part  of  the  Park.  Around  the  hotels  and 
working  camps  they  have  become  exceedingly  tame  and 
are  a  never-failing  source  of  delight  to  the  tourist.  They 
are  at  the  same  time  an  intolerable  annoyance  from  their 
habit  of  breaking  into  tents  and  buildings  in  search  of 
food. 

The  two  well-known  species,  the  grizzly  and  the  black 
be^r,  flourish  in  the  Park,  but  the  latter  by  far  the  more 
numerously.  Science  does  not  specifically  recognize  the 
60-called  cinnamon  bear,  which  seems  to  be  a  variation 
in  color  from  the  black  bear.  Tlie  term  white  bear,  as 
used  by  the  early  hunters,  and  silver  tip,  as  used  to-day, 
apply  to  the  grizzly  bear. 


forage  and  shelter,  if  necessary,  and,  of  course,  perfect  pro- 
tection; and  thus  let  the  herd  recuperate  and  become  better 
acquainted  with  its  benefactors.  The  young  will  be  gradually 
given  their  liberty  with  the  expectation  that  they  will  not 
flee  to  the  mountains,  but  will  remain  in  the  lower  valleys 
where  they  can  find  subsistence  in  winter.  It  is  earnestly 
to  be  hoped  that  this  policy  will  succeed. 


224  THE    YELLOWSTON-E    NATIONAL    PARK. 

The  most  abundant  species  of  the  larger  game  is  that 
superb  and  majestic  animal,  the  American  elk.  It  is  to 
be  seen  in  every  part  of  the  Park.  Its  present  numbers 
and  recent  increase  remove  all  danger  of  extermination. 
If  a  thousand  elk  were  slaughtered  every  year  from  the 
overflow  into  the  surrounding  country,  the  natural  in- 
crease would  more  than  offset  it.  The  Park  is  particu- 
larly adapted  to  the  life  of  this  animal  The  open  and 
partly  wooded  country  in  the  east  and  north  of  the  Park 
affords  every  desired  condition — from  the  low  warm  val- 
leys for  winter  to  the  high  cool  mountain  sides  for  sum- 
mer. The  elk  will  always  remain  the  most  numerous 
among  the  larger  game  of  the  Park  as  it  will  always  be 
the  most  attractive  from  the  dignity  and  grace  of  its 
bearing. 

Deer  are  abundant  in  two  well-known  species— the 
black-tail,  or  Dakota  mule  deer,  and  the  white-tail.  The 
first  is  the  more  common,  and  is  found  in  nearly  all  parts 
of  the  Park.  Their  winter  range  is  mainly  in  the  north 
of  the  Park  and  they  are  as  familiar  around  the  buildings 
at  j\rammoth  Hot  Springs  as  a  herd  of  domestic  cattle. 

The  antelope  and  mountain  sheep  are  much  less  numer- 
ous than  the  elk  and  deer,  but  there  is  no  reason  to  sup- 
pose that  they  are  not  holding  their  own.  The  antelope 
range  is  in  the  north  of  the  Park  extending  from  Gardi- 
ner to  Soda  Butte  and  back  on  the  northern  slopes  of  Mt. 
Washburn.  The  mountain  sheep  range  principally  upon 
Mt.  Everts  and  ]\It.  Washburn.  In  the  winter  season  both 
antelope  and  sheep  are  seen  near  the  road  in  the  vicinity 
of  Gardiner. 

All  reports  indicate  that  the  moose,  which  used  to  range 
through  the  southern  portions  of  the  Park,  have  well-nigh 
disappeared. 


y 


l^ijLiN   Among  the  Flowers — Posixg  for  a  Picture. 


J'AUXA  OF  THE  YELLOWSTONE.  225 

Among  the  fiir-bcaring  animals  there  are,  in  addition 
to  the  beaver  already  mentioned,  a  large  number  of  otter, 
and  a  few  foxes  of  the  common  species.  Muskrats  are  very 
abundant. 

Of  the  strictly  carnivorous  species  the  mountain  lion 
is  the  most  important.  It  seems  to  be  in  no  danger  of 
extinction  and  is  one  of  two  animals  that  the  authorities 
consider  it  necessary  to  kill  for  the  protection  of  other 
game.  The  other  of  these  animals  is  the  coyote,  whose 
power  of  increase  baffles  all  efforts  to  exterminate  it.  The 
coyote  is  the  only  abundant  species  of  the  wolf  genus 
known  to  exist  in  the  Park. 

There  are  two  species  of  the  lynx  genus  in.  the  Park, 
the  Canadian  L}mx  and  the  bobcat,  or  wild  cat. 

An  animal  which  was  very  common  in  the  Park  ten 
years  ago,  but  is  now  rarely  seen,  if  at  all,  is  the  porcu- 
pine. WTiat  is  the  cause  of  its  strange  disappearance, 
and  whether  that  disappearance  is  permanent  or  only  tem- 
porary, no  one  knows. 

Among  the  smaller  species  the  groundhog,  or  eastern 
woodchuck,  is  exceedingly  numerous  and  frequents  the 
roadsides  in  all  parts  of  the  Park.  Tlie  red  squirrel  is 
everywhere  seen  and  the  diminutive  chipmunk  is  always 
scampering  out  from  under  the  horses'  feet.  The  pine 
marten  is  a  rare  animal,  but  nevertheless  flourishes  through- 
out the  forests  with  no  danger  of  disappearance. 

BIRDS. 

Although  an  ornithologist,  in  passing  through  the  Park, 
would  report  a  list  of  birds  so  extensive  as  to  lead  one  to 
think  that  they  abound  in  great  numbers,  there  is  really 
a  noticeable  paucity  of  the  winged  tribes.  Tliere  are  many 
species,  but  a  scarcity  of  individuals  except  in  a  few  cases. 


226  THE    TELLOWSTOXE    NATIONAL   PARK. 

It  is  stated  by  an  authority  on  this  subject  that  the  birds 
of  the  Park  seem  distant  and  hard  to  see,  and  are  there- 
fore more  difficult  to  study  than  those  in  the  lower  alti- 
tudes. The  following  list  enumerates  some  of  the  more 
conspicuous : 

The  most  numerous  of  all  the  species  are  the  water- 
fowl that  frequent  the  lakes  and  rivers.  The  pelican  on 
the  Yellowstone  Lake  is  always  an  attractive  feature  of 
that  body  of  water.  It  is  a  splendid  bird,  and,  when  seen 
in  large  numbers  upon  the  water,  it  looks  like  a  fleet  of 
white  boats.  It  is  equally  graceful  in  the  air  where  it 
soars  in  magnificent  curves  between  the  blue  of  the  water 
and  the  sky.  The  great  breeding  ground  of  the  pelican 
is  at  the  northeast  corner  of  the  lake,  w^here  its  name  is 
used  to  designate  three  important  geographical  features — 
Pelican  Creek,  Pelican  Eoost,  an  island,  and  Pelican  Cone, 
a  hill  back  in  the  interior. 

The  swan,  though  actually  found  in  the  Park,  is  rarely 
seen. 

Gulls  and  terns  are  numerous  on  the  larger  lakes. 

The  grebe,  the  great  blue  heron,  the  sandhill  crane,  the 
mudhen,  and  the  spotted  sandpiper  abound  in  limited 
numbers. 

The  water-ousel  is  one  of  the  really  numerous  species 
of  birds  in  the  Park  and  it  would  seem  as  if  the  thousand 
torrents  of  that  region  furnish  it  with  an  ideal  home. 
It  may  be  seen  everywhere  among  the  foaming  cascades 
and  on  the  slippery  rocks,  and  it  remains  in  the  Park  in 
winter  as  well  as  summer.  It  is  particularly  numerous 
along  the  Gardiner  River. 

The  Canada  goose  is  a  very  frequent  visitor  to  the  Park 
in  the  fall  of  the  year,  when  it  may  be  seen  in  countless 
numbers  among  the  marshes  in  the  warm  spring  districts. 


f  AUNA  OF  THE  YELLOWSTONE.  227 

Wary  as  it  is  of  the  wiles  of  man,  and  watchful  as  it  natur- 
ally is  of  his  whereabouts,  it  doffs  its  fear  in  this  protected 
region  and  remains  in  apparent  indifference  by  the  road 
sides  as  if  conscious  of  its  immunity  from  danger. 

Ducks  abound  in  great  numbers  and  in  all  the  more 
important  species.  Where  the  water  from  the  hot  springs 
keeps  the  streams  open,  they  remain  all  winter.  Around 
Mammoth  Hot  Springs  they  frequent  the  roads  and  barn- 
yards for  food  and  resemble  at  first  sight  domestic  flocks. 
The  sportsman  who  is  forced  to  devise  ways  and  means 
for  catching  these  wary  birds  in  the  world  outside  would 
scarcely  believe  that  they  could  become  so  tame  when 
within  the  protection  of  the  Park. 

Among  the  larger  birds  of  prey  both  the  golden  and 
bald  eagles  are  occasionally  seen,  although  they  are  not 
numerous.  The  fish-hawk  or  osprey  is  very  common,  and 
is  found  in  all  the  streams.  Its  nests  on  rocky  pinnacles 
are  often  mistaken  for  eagles'  nests. 

There  are  several  species  of  hawk,  and  this  bird  is  one 
of  the  most  numerous  in  the  Park.  Its  nests  may  be  seen 
in  considerable  numbers  in  the  tops  of  dead  pine  trees 
along  the  north  shore  of  the  Yellowstone  lake.  The  west- 
ern red-tail,  or  chicken-hawk,  is  also  frequently  seen,. 

Owls  are  not  uncommon,  the  most  conspicuous  being 
the  western  horned  owl. 

Of  the  land  birds  that  elsewhere  furnish  legitimate 
sport  for  the  hunter,  the  ruffed  grouse  is  the  only  one  that 
is  found  in  sufficient  numbers  to  merit  attention. 

Among  the  scavenger  and  carrion  birds  the  raven,  the 
crow  and  the  magpie  are  quite  common.  A  familiar  bird 
to  all  tourists  who  camp  through  the  Park  is  the  Rocky 
Mountain  Jay,  or  "camp  robber,"  as  it  is  commonly  called. 
This  name,  however,  is  a  harsh  one  for  so  useful  a  bird, 
and  camp  scavenger  would  more  correctly  describe  it. 


228  THE    YELLOWSTONE    NATIONAL    PARK. 

The  better  known  and  more  common  among  the  other 
birds  that  live  in  the  Park  are  the  following:  The  robin, 
the  blue  bird,  the  chickadee,  two  nuthatches,  the  brown 
tree  creeper,  the  Macgillivray  warbler,  the  yellow  throat, 
the  winter  wren,  the  tit  lark,  the  Louisiana  tanager,  the 
meadow  lark,  the  blue-headed  blackbird,  the  white 
crowned  sparrow,  the  Cassin  purple  finch,  the  pink-sided 
junco,  the  pine  siskin,  the  kingfisher,  northern  violet- 
green  and  cliff  swallows,  and  the  Eocky  mountain  hairy 
woodpecker. 

Among  the  winter  birds  are  the  water-ousel  and  the 
raerganzer  on  the  streams;  and  the  ptarmigan,  Bohemian 
wai-wing,  snow-flake,  and  red  poll,  land  birds. 

FISHES. 

It  is  now  generally  recognized  that  the  Yellowstone 
Park  affords  the  finest  trout  fishing  in  the  world.  There 
are  a  few  other  fishes,  like  the  grayling  in  the  Madison 
and  its  branches  and  white  fish  in  the  lower  Gardiner; 
but  the  Park  is  practically  an  exclusive  home  for  that 
most  beautiful  and  interesting  of  all  the  fishes,  the  trout. 

Not  all  the  streams  of  the  Park  were  originally  stocked 
with  fish.  Where  the  waters  leave  the  great  volcanic  jAa.- 
teau  and  fall  to  the  underlying  formations,  the  cataracts 
form  impassable  barriers  to  the  ascent  of  fish.  In  the 
lower  courses  of  all  the  streams  there  were  native  trout, 
but  above  the  falls,  with  one  exception,  there  were  none. 
The  excej^tion  of  the  Yellowstone  Eiver  and  Lake  is  a  most 
interesting  one.  ^Yhy  the  Falls  of  Yellowstone,  the  high- 
est and  most  impassable  of  all,  should  apparently  have 
proven  no  barrier,  is  at  first  a  puzzling  question.  But  the 
solution  is  to  be  found  in  Two-Ocean  Pass.  Across  this 
remarkable  divide  fish  may  easily  make  their  way,  and 


FAUNA  OF  THE  YELLOWSTONE.  229 

the  Yellowstone  Lake  is  unquestionably  stocked  from  this 
direction.  "W^e  thus  have  an  example,  probably  without 
parallel,  of  an  extensive  body  of  water  on  the  Atlantic 
slope  stocked  by  nature  with  fjsh  from  the  Pacific. 

Beginning  with  the  year  1890  the  United  States  Fish 
Commission  took  up  the  work  of  stocking  all  the  fishlcss 
streams  of  the  Park  and  to  the  present  time  have  made 
the  following  plants : 

10,000  yearling  lake  trout  in  the  Yellowstone  Eiver 
above  the  falls  in  1890. 

30,000  yearling  lake  trout  in  the  Shoshone  Lake,  in 
1890. 

12,000  yearling  lake  trout  in  Lewis  Lake,  in  1890. 

3,350  yearling  Loch  Leven  trout  in  Lewis  Lake,  in  1890. 

3,350  yearling  Loch  Leven  trout  in  the  Shoshone  Lake, 
in  1890. 

9,800  Von  Behr  trout  in  Xez  Perce  Creek,  in  1890. 

7,800  yearling  brook  trout  in  Gardiner  Eiver,  "West 
Fork,  in  1890. 

4,500  yearling  rainbow  trout  in  Beaver  Creek,  in  1893. 

1,000  yearling  rainbow  trout  in  Beaver  Creek  in  1895. 

1,000  rainbow  trout  fry  in  De  Lacy  Creek  and  near 
Mammoth  Hot  Springs,  in  1896. 

10,000  brook  trout  fry  in  Willow  and  Glen  Creeks,  in 
1901. 

9,000  brook  trout  fry  in  Glen  Creek,  in  1902. 

18,000  brook  trout  fry  in  Willow  Creek,  in  1902. 

11,000  brook  trout  fry  in  Indian  Creek,  in  1902. 

These  plants  have  taken  decisive  root  and  there  is  now 
scarcely  a  hidden  stream  or  lake  in  all  this  region  that 
is  without  its  attractions  for  the  sportsmen.  Full  freedom 
of  fishing  in  all  the  streams  is  allowed,  except  that  the 
iish  can  be  taken  only  by  hook  and  line. 


230  THE    YPJLLOWSTONE    NATIONAL    PARK. 

Tlie  trout  of  the  Yellowstone  Lake  are  to  a  large  degree 
infected  with  a  parasitic  disease  that  renders  them  unfit 
for  eating.  Many  efforts  have  been  made  to  discover  the 
cause  of  this  condition,  and  a  suitable  remedy  for  it,  but 
so  far  without  success.  The  most  reasonable  explanation 
is  to  be  found  in  the  excessive  number  of  these  fish  and 
the  absence  of  sufficient  food,  whereby  their  vitality  is 
reduced  and  they  become  an  easy  prey  of  parasites  which 
a  more  vigorous  constitution  would  throw  off. 

REPTILES. 

Scarcely  any  reference  need  be  made  to  the  reptiles  of 
1he  Park  because  of  the  extreme  paucity  of  their  number. 
There  are  a  few  lizards  and  toads,  and  an  abundance  of 
frogs.  There  are  also  three  or  four  species  of  snakes,  among 
which  are  the  large  bull  snake  and  a  diminutive  water 
snake.  Both  are  entirely  harmless.  The  author  has  never 
seen  a  rattlesnake  in  the  Park,  but  it  is  said  that  they 
have  been  seen  in  the  low  altitude  near  the  mouth  of  the 
Gardiner  River.  They  apparently  do  not  exist  as  far  up 
as  Mammoth  Hot  Springs.  The  tourist  may  enjoy  what- 
ever satisfaction  there  is  in  the  fact  that  there  are  no 
poisonous  reptiles  or  other  animals  in  the  Park. 

INSECTS. 

It  remains  t6  assign  to  the  smallest  representatives  of 
animal  life  in  the  Park  (smallest  in  size  but  greatest  in 
numbers)  the  most  important  place  so  far  as  the  comfort 
of  the  tourist  is  concerned.  The  mosquito  and  kindred 
pests  are  exceedingly  vigorous  and  active  at  certain  sea- 
sons. They  begin  to  appear  late  in  June,  and  the  energy 
of  the  mosquito  is  at  its  height  in  the  early  days  of  July. 
By  the  first  of  August  it  has  nearly  disappeared.  It  is 
aided  in  its  career  of  torture  by  an  exceedingly  dimiuu- 


FAUNA  OF  THE  YELLOWSTOXE.  231 

tive  gnat  which  flourishes  for  a  brief  period  early  in  the 
season. 

The  reign  of  the  mosquito  is  followed  by  that  of  several 
epccies  of  horse  flics,  which  are  desperately  fierce  and  vora- 
cious in  the  late  summer,  and  are  a  great  drawback  to  the 
pleasure  of  driving. 

Finally  the  common  house  fly  abounds  in  even  greater 
numbers  than  in  lower  altitudes  and  is  an  unmitigated 
nuisance  in  all  camping  operations. 

GAME. 

The  tourist  is  often  disappointed  that  he  sees  but  little 
game  in  the  Park,  and  hastens  to  the  conclusion  that  the 
fact  of  its  existence  has  been  much  overdrawn.  He  should 
remember  that  it  is  of  the  nature  of  wild  animals  to  shun 
the  haunts  of  man.  In  the  summer  season  when  tourists 
visit  the  Park  herbivorous  animals  are  nearly  all  in  the 
higher  altitudes  with  their  cool  retreats  and  greater  free- 
dom from  annopng  insects.  They  naturally  do  not  con- 
gregate along  the  roadsides.  It  is  nevertheless  noticeable 
that  their  sense  of  safety  is  making  them  better  acquainted 
with  men  and  they  are  seen  in  ever-increasing  frequency 
as  time  goes  on.  It  is  now  very  rare  that  the  visitor  is 
not  favored  with  the  sight  of  elk  and  deer  somewhere  in 
his  tour.  Bear  he  always  sees.  If  he  travels  in  the  north- 
east section  of  the  Park  he  is  certain  to  see  antelope.  In 
the  late  autumn  or  early  spring  he  may  see  almost  any 
day,  on  the  rugged  cliffs  of  the  lower  Gardiner  Canon,  a 
fine  band  of  mountain  sheep.  Buffalo  are  now  in  evidence 
under  compulsion  in  the  corral  near  Mammoth  Hot 
Springs.  To  him  who  travels  the  bridle  paths  of  the  Park 
away  from  the  beaten  routes  the  evidence  of  the  presence 
of  game  quickly  conquers  all  preconceived  doubts. 


232  THE    YELLOTTSTONE    NATIONAL   PARK. 

The  question  is  often  asked  whether  the  game  interests 
of  the  Park  would  not  be  promoted  by  fencing  the  entire 
reservation.  While  fencing  the  boundary  might  be  of 
some  advantage  in  a  few  special  localities,  it  would  not 
be  so  if  applied  to  the  Park  as  a  whole.  The  undertaking 
itself  would  be  a  stupendous  one  owing  to  the  almost 
insuperable  obstacles  encountered  on  a  straight  line 
through  a  mountainous  country.  The  fence  would  not 
restrain  poachers,  who,  with  a  pair  of  plyers,  could  cut  it 
wherever  desired;  but  it  would  restrain  government  offi- 
cials, who  would  not  feel  at  liberty  to  cut  it,  and  whose 
freedom  of  movement  along  the  boundary  would  be  cur- 
tailed thereb3\  Falling  timber  would  keep  the  fence  full 
of  breaks  unless  it  was  constantly  patched.  In  the  winter 
deep  snow  would  bury  it  in  a  thousand  places  and  game 
could  pass  over  it  with  ease,  while  the  melting  of  the 
snow  in  spring  would  restore  the  fence  and  prevent  their 
return.  In  fact,  one  of  the  greatest  purposes  of  the  Park 
as  a  game  preserve— that  of  providing  a  refuge  for  the 
game  of  the  surrounding  country — ^would  be  destroyed 
by  such  a  fence. 

The  best  of  all  game  fences  for  the  Park  are  the  forest 
reserves  that  have  been  created  on  its  borders,  supported 
and  strengthened  by  a  vigorous  administration  of  the 
game  laws  in  the  surrounding  States.  It  is  entirely  con- 
sistent with  the  function  of  the  Park  in  the  preservation 
of  game  that  the  animals  reared  under  its  protection 
should  overflow  into  the  surrounding  regions  where  they 
may  satisfy  the  natural  desire  of  man  for  the  sport  of 
hunting. 


CHAPTER  VI. 

FLORA  OF  THE  YELLOWSTONE. 

Considering  its  geographical  location  in  the  heart  of 
the  arid  regions  of  the  west,  the  Park  is  blessed  with  an 
unusually  bountiful  flora.  Its  climate  is,  in  fact,  much 
more  humid  than  in  any  portion  of  the  surrounding  coun- 
try. The  mean  annual  precipitation  at  Mammoth  ITot 
Springs  for  a  period  of  ten  years  is  nineteen  inches.  For 
the  ujjper  Park  it  is  probably  as  high  as  twenty-five  inches. 
Tlie  mean  annual  precipitation  in  the  lower  valleys  sur- 
rounding the  Park  is  about  14.5  inches.  This  greater 
humidity  of  the  Park  region  produces  a  result  upon  vege- 
tation that  is  very  apparent.  The  forest  gro'W'ths  are 
abundant,  the  flowers  marvelously  profuse  and  the  grass 
nutritious  and  luxuriant.  The  Park  is  a  vast  oasis  in  the 
midst  of  a  parched  and  arid  country  that  stretches  away 
from  it  in  every  direction  for  hundreds  of  miles. 

The  principal  features  of  the  Park  flora  which  attract 
attention  from  the  tourist  are  its  forests  and  flowers  and 
these  will  be  separately  considered  in  the  next  two  chap- 
ters. Excelling  them  in  practical  utility,  though  seldom 
noticed  except  in  the  more  beautiful  glades  and  parks,  are 
the  various  grasses  which  flourish  everywhere  outside  of 
the  dense  forests.  The  importance  of  these  grasses  can 
not  be  overestimated.  The  very  existence  of  the  game 
depends  upon  them,  and  the  convenience  of  visitors  in 
subsisting  their  animals  is  greatly  promoted  thereby. 

The  Park  grasses  have  never  been  separately  cata- 
logued, but  thev  are  uractically  the  same  as  in  the  sur- 

(10*)  ^  ^     . 


234  THE    YELLOTTSTOXE    NATIONAL   PARK. 

rounding  country  with  the  natural  modifications  due  to 
difference  of  environment*  As  a  general  thing  the  grasses 
of  the  western  country  are  of  excellent  quality.  They 
retain  their  nutritive  power  in  winter  as  well  as  summer, 
60  that  whenever  the  snow  does  nOt  fall  too  deeply,  graz- 
ing herds  can  find  sustenance  at  all  seasons  of  the  year. 

The  three  grasses  that  are  the  cliief  reliance  for  grazing 
are  the  gramma  grass,  the  buffalo  grass  and  the  bunch 
grass.  Gramma  grass  has  a  wide  distribution  throughout 
the  west  and  is  sometimes  mistaken  for  bufl;alo  grass.  It 
attains  a  growth  as  high  as  ten  inches.  It  is  one  of  the 
native  grasses  that  thrives  under  irrigation.  Buffalo  grass 
is  also  widely  distributed,  but  is  dying  out  before  the  ad- 
vance of  civilization.  The  bunch  grass  is  most  important 
of  all,  and  is  the  main  reliance  of  grazing  herds  both  in 
winter  and  summer. 

Besides  the  more  important  grazing  grasses  there  arc 
many  other  growths.  "Wild  timothy  and  clover  abound 
and  the  swamps  are  filled  with  rank  growths  which,  in 
several  places,  have  been  mown  and  cured  for  hay.  The 
quality,  however,  is  very  inferior. 

The  area  of  good  pasturage  in  the  Park  is  exitensive, 
although  it  does  not  cover  more  than  twenty  per  cent,  of 
the  entire  Eeservation.  The  principal  open  grassy  tracts 
have  been  already  described  in  the  chapter  on  the  topog- 
raphy of  the  Park.  In  the  more  open  forests  in  the  north- 
eastern part  of  the  Park  the  grasses  invade  the  woods  and 
form  the  most  attractive  places  of  all  for  grazing. 

That  singular  and  useless  plant  which  grows  almost 
universally  throughout  the  arid  west,  the  sage  brush  (genus 


*  Mr.  Alfred  Rydberg,  in  his  catalogue  of  the  Flora  of 
Montana  and  the  Yellowstone  Park,  enumerates  191  grasses. 
About  80  species  have  been  reported  from  the  Park,  but  the 
buffalo  grass  and  gramma  grass  are  not  among  them. 


FLORA  OF  THE  YELLOWSTONE.  235 

Artemisia)  is  represented  in  the  Park  by  several  species. 
The  most  common  there,  as  elsewhere,  is  the  tridentata,  or 
three-pronged  leaf.  It  grows  extensively  around  Mammoth 
Hot  Springs,  where  it  attains  a  height  of  nearly  ten  feet. 
The  growths  in  the  higher  altitudes  are  much  smaller. 

In  the  valley  of  the  Lower  Gardiner  that  other  plant 
peculiar  to  the  arid  regions,  the  greasewood  {Sarcobaius 
vermiculaius),  flourishes.  In  external  form  it  resembles 
the  tridentata  sage,  but  its  color  and  composition  are  ver>' 
different.  The  presence  of  sage  brush  indicates  a  good 
agricultural  soil;  that  of  greasewood  a  poor  soil;  though 
sometimes  the  two  plants  are  found  growing  together. 

The  cactus  is  represented  by  two  species,  the  well-known 
prickly  pear,  and  the  small  spherical  growth,  which  abounds 
in  the  lower  prairies.  Both  of  these  plants  produce  attrac- 
tive blossoms,  and  both  are  exceedingly  troublesome  to  man 
nnd  beast  in  traveling  over  the  country  where  they  exist. 
Iliese  plants  flourish  only  in  the  lower  altitudes  of  the 
Tark. 

Several  well  kno^vn  species  of  wild  fruits  are  met  with. 
Ived  raspberries  grow  all  along  the  northern  boundary  of 
the  Park.  In  the  region  of  the  travertine  rocks  between 
Terrace  Mountain  and  Bunsen  Peak  they  grow  in  sufficient 
quantities  to  justify  picking.  Another  place  where  they 
grow  profusely  is  the  Canon  of  Lamar  Eiver,  about  six 
miles  above  the  mouth  of  that  stream. 

Neither  the  black  raspberry  nor  the  common  blackberry 
grows  in  the  Park,  but  there  are  wild  gooseberries  and  cur- 
rants in  abundance.  The  fragrant  serdce  berry  is  met 
with,  but  not  the  buffalo  berry,  which  grows  so  abundantly 
in  the  valleys  below  the  Park. 

There  is  found  all  over  the  Park  in  the  dense  forests  of 
lod^e  pole  pine,  a  small  plant  which  yields  a  diminutive 


236  THE    YELLOWSTONE    NATIONAL   PARK. 

fruit  of  the  cranberry  genus.  In  taste  and  smell  it  resem- 
bles exactly  the  common  huckleberry.  It  grows  in  the 
greatest  profusion,  and  fills  the  air  with  its  fragrance; 
but  its  exceedingly  small  size  prevents  its  being  gathered 
for  use. 

Among  the  minor  plants  which  abound  are  some  of  the 
wild  edible  roots^  such  as  the  camas  root,  the  Indian  turnip, 
the  bitter  root,  and  the  wild  onion.  Mushrooms  grow 
extensively,  and  a  certain  variety  attains  enormous  size. 
One  specimen  measured  forty  inches  in  circumference  and 
weighed  about  ten  pounds. 

Lichens,  mosses,  and  a  few  prostrate  growths  abound  to  a 
limited  extent.  Mint  is  found  in  some  localities.  There  are 
but  few  vines  and  almost  no  thorny  growths.  Kinnikinick, 
or  the  bear  berry,  from  the  bark  of  which  the  Indian  made 
a  native  tobacco,  grows  extensively  throughout  the  forests. 

The  cultivation  of  ordinary  domestic  plants  and  vege- 
tables in  the  Park  is  very  precarious  owing  to  the  altitude 
and  frequent  frost.  In  the  lower  valley  of  the  Gardiner  the 
raising  of  vegetables  has  been  successfully  accomplished, 
but  never  on  the  Park  Plateau,  where  the  altitude  is  nearly 
half  a  mile  greater.  A  novel  system  of  hothouse  cultiva- 
tion has  been  successfully  tried  in  the  geyser  basins  where 
the  steam  from  the  hoi  springs  has  been  utilized  to  force  the 
growth  of  lettuce  and  similar  vegetables. 


CHAPTER  VII. 

FORESTS  OF  THE  YELLOWSTONE. 

The  most  prominent  feature  of  the  Park  flora  is  its  forest 
growth,  which  covers  five-sixths  of  its  area.  Tlie  trees  are 
nearly  all  conifera,  but  the  species  are  few  in  nuniber. 
Probably  three-fourths  of  the  forests  consist  of  the  lodge 
pole  pine  (Pinus  Murraijana) ,  sometimes  called  black  pine 
from  its  dark  appearance  in  large  masses.  It  grows  in  tall, 
straight,  slender  trunks,  with  no  foliage,  except  near  the 
top.  The  trees  stand  so  close  together  that  the  lower  limbs 
of  earlier  growths  die  out  and  the  individual  tree  is  simply 
a  huge  telegraph  pole  sixty  to  seventy  feet  long,  with  a 
Christmas  tree  on  the  top.  In  some  places  the  gro\^-ths  are 
60  dense  and  the  trunks  so  weak  and  slender  that  when  tlie 
top  support  is  removed,  as  by  cutting  the  right  of  way  for  a 
road,  the  trees  lop  over  in  great  circles  until  the  tops  touch 
the  ground.  The  tree  is  of  little  use  for  lumber,  but  it  has 
been  utilized  extensively  for  fuel,  telegraph  poles,  fences 
and  similar  purposes. 

The  white  pine  (Pinus  flexilis)  is  found  extensively  in 
the  lower  altitudes  in  the  north  of  the  Park.  It  is  seen 
at  its  best  on  the  formation  around  Fort  Yellowstone.  It 
docs  not  grow  much  above  an  elevation  of  6,000  feet.  It 
is  not  a  very  shapely  tree,  and  is  interesting  rather  from  its 
sturdy  form  than  from  any  real  beauty  or  symmetry.  It  is 
of  little  use  for  lumber. 

A  related  species  (Pinus  aJhicauUs)  grows  in  the  higher 
altitudes.  In  external  appearance,  habit  and  utility  it 
resembles  the  flexilis  pine. 


288  THE    YELLOWSTONE    NATIONAL    PAU^, 

The  trees  just  mentioned  constitute  the  only  species  of 
pines  that  grow  in  the  Park.  Three  other  important  trees 
have  also  a  wide  area  of  growth.  The  Douglas  Spruce 
(Pseudotsuga  macronata)  is  a  tree  that  resembles  in  ex- 
ternal form  of  growth  the  pinus  flexilis.  It  is  found  most 
abundantly  in  the  northern  portions  of  the  Park,  but  to  a 
considerable  extent  also  in  various  other  sections.  In  size 
of  trunk  it  is  by  far  the  largest  tree  in  the  Park,  occasional 
specimens  exceeding  six  feet  in  diameter.  It  is  the  great 
lumber  tree  of  the  Park,  and  is  always  chosen  in  preference 
to  other  trees  for  bridge  timber. 

The  two  trees  upon  which  the  beauty  of  the  Park  forests 
mainly  depends  are  the  Engelmann  Spruce  and  the  Silver 
Fir,  of  the  genera  Picea  and  Ahies,  respectively.  Both 
trees  flourish  in  the  higher  altitudes,  the  spruce  being  par- 
tial to  damp  ground.  Xeither  tree  yields  a  good  lumber, 
and  neither  is  sought  for  this  purpose  when  the  Douglas 
Spruce  is  available. 

The  Engelmann  spruce  is  a  tall,  well-built  tree,  with 
symmetrical  branches — commencing  but  little  above  the 
ground,  and  generally  drooping  a  little  as  if  pressed  do^^^l 
by  the  weight  of  many  winters'  snow.  The  bark  is  of  a 
light  reddish  hue,  which  contrasts  beautifully  with  the 
dark  foliage. 

The  silver  fir,  sometimes  called  balsam,  is  also  a  tall 
s}Tnmetrical  tree,  whose  soft,  glaucous,  Ught  green  foliage 
makes  it  the  most  beautiful  tree  in  the  woods.  It  is  not 
generally  found  in  dense  growths,  like  the  Eugelmann 
spruce,  but  is  encountered  more  frequently  on  the  skirts 
of  forests  verging  toward  the  timber  line. 

In  a  few  instances  these  trees  have  assumed  a  remarkable 
growth,  the  limbs  commencing  with  hedge-like  density 
from  the  ground,  and  extending  in  a  solid  mass  to  the  top 


FORESTS  OF  THE  YELLOWSTONE.  239 

as  if  trimmed  with  artistic  skill  by  an  experienced  gar- 
dener. There  are  several  examples  of  these  growths  which 
should  rank  among  the  marvels  of  the  Park.  It  is  said 
that  they  have  been  utilized  for  shelter  in  the  winter  by 
chance  wayfarers;  for  when  covered  with  a  roof  of  snow 
their  interior  is  as  dry  and  wann  as  the  room  of  a  house. 

It  is  upon  the  two  species  just  described  that  the  beauty 
of  the  Park  forests  chiefly  rests.  The  roads  that  are  built 
through  them  are  invariably  cool  and  pleasant,  and  in 
some  places  form  majestic  avenues,  with  stately  columns 
rising  in  perfect  symmetry  on  either  side.  The  visitor 
quickly  learns  the  contrast  between  these  rich  evergreen 
forests  and  the  somber  solitudes  of  the  lodge  pole  pine. 

The  Park  boasts  two  species  of  cedar,  the  Juniperus 
scopulorum,  and  a  prostrate  form,  Juniperus  sihirica.  The 
first  is  confined  to  the  Lower  Gardiner  and  the  Yellowstone 
Valleys,  and  principally  to  the  vicinity  of  Mammoth  Hot 
Springs.  This  tree  rarely  attains  sufficient  size  or  regular- 
ity of  form  to  make  it  useful  for  lumber  or  even  fence 
posts.  It  is  a  small  growth,  misshapen  in  the  extreme, 
and  is  attractive  mainly  on  account  of  the  remark- 
able contortions  and  unusual  shapes  it  assumes.  It  is  as  if 
its  entire  life  had  been  beset  with  wind  and  stonn  until  it 
had  lost  every  vestige  of  form  and  comeliness.  There  are, 
however,  a  few  examples  which  exhibit  remarkable  sym- 
metry of  growth. 

The  prostrate  cedar  growth  is  found  generally  through- 
out the  Park,  at  high  as  well  as  low  altitudes.  It  creeps 
over  the  ground  like  a  vine,  and  is  a  very  ornamental  shrub. 

The  genus  Populus  is  represented  in  the  Park  by  three 
species.  The  angustifolia,  or  narrow-leafed,  cottonwood 
grows  along  the  streams  in  the  lower  altitudes,  but  is  not 
very  abundant  within  the  limits  of  the  Park.     There  is 


MO  THE    YELLOWSTONE    NATIONAL    PARK. 

also  a  Cottonwood  of  broader  leaf,  but  of  rather  infrequent 
occurrence.  The  tremuloides,  or  quaking  aspen,  is  the 
great  representative  of  the  genus  in  the  Park,  and  the  only 
deciduous  tree  to  be  found  there  abundantly.  It  grows  in 
email  detached  copses  in  every  part  of  the  Eeservation, 
and  is  an  element  of  the  highest  importance  in  the  beauty 
of  the  landscape.  AATiether  in  the  soft,  pale  green  of  early 
epring  or  the  pure  crimson  and  yellow  of  early  fall,  these 
groves  always  appeal  to  the  lover  of  nature  as  one  of  her 
choicest  beauties.  In  certain  localities  the  tree  grows  to  a 
height  of  thirty  or  forty  feet,  with  spreading  tops  and 
snow-white  trunks — a  singular  and  striking  phenomenon, 
like  a  group  of  ponderous  umbrellas  with  white  handles 
and  green  tops. 

The  elk  and  deer  browse  the  quaking  aspen,  and  the 
beaver  cuts  it  down  for  his  use ;  so  that  between  the  two  it 
has  a  hard  struggle  for  existence  in  some  localities. 
Whether  from  browsing  or  some  other  cause,  many  of  the 
groves  in  the  northern  part  of  the  Park  seem  to  be  trimmed 
up  exactly  the  same  distance  from  the  ground,  as  if  all  the 
limbs  had  been  carefully  cut  off  at  a  fixed  height. 

The  species  above  described  include  all  the  larger  trees 
of  the  Park.  There  are  besides  several  smaller  growths  and 
numerous  low  shrubs  that  are  scarcely  to  be  considered  as 
forming  a  part  of  the  forest.  Willow  thickets  abound 
on  nearly  all  the  streams,  and  in  some  places,  as  in  Willow 
Park,  are  very  beautiful  either  in  early  spring  or  late 
autumn.  The  willows  are  naturally  a  great  resource  for  the 
beaver  in  his  peculiar  manner  of  life.  Alder  growths 
abound  on  nearly  all  the  streams.  The  dwarf  maple  is 
quite  common  around  Mammoth  Hot  Springs,  and  is  a 
very  pretty  tree. 

Considered  in  their  broader  bearing  upon  the  welfare  of 


CtROUP  ok  1\\kk  Hkidcjes. 


tORESTS  OF  THE  YELLOWSTONE.  241 

the  Park,  its  forests  are  an  element  of  great  importance. 
Their  value  differs  with  the  different  species,  and  in  some 
instances  is  much  overestimated.  In  the  vast  compact 
areas  of  lodge  pole  pine  there  is  nothing  of  beauty  and 
little  of  utility.  The  dense  shade  prevents  the  g^o^\ih  of 
grass  and  underbrush,  and  the  game  find  nothing  to 
live  on  among  them.  The  spruce  and  fir  are  very  different 
trees.  They  grow  more  in  detached  masses,  interspersed 
with  pasturage  which  often  invades  their  precincts  with  a 
fine  grassy  turf,  forming  ideal  grazing  grounds  for  the 
herbivorous  game.  As  seen  in  their  native  beauty  on  the 
slopes  of  Mt.  Washburn  they  are  one  of  the  chief  attrac- 
tions of  the  Park. 

As  a  source  of  timber  supply  the  forests  of  the  Park 
and  surrounding  mountains  are  not  of  high  rank.  Only 
one  of  their  trees  }ields  a  good  lumber,  and  that,  unfortu- 
nately, is  among  the  least  abundant.  Railroads  are  now 
resorting  to  the  lodge  pole  pine  for  ties  and  telegraph 
poles,  but  this  due  to  necessity  from  the  growing  scarcity 
of  better  timber  rather  than  to  any  merit  in  the  wood  itself. 

The  influence  of  the  Park  forests  upon  the  flow  of  its 
streams  is  very  different  from  what  is  generally  supposed. 
So  far  as  tlie  spring  floods  are  concerned,  the  effect  of  the 
forests,  contrary  to  the  received  opinion,  is  to  intensify,  not 
to  moderate.  This  is  a  truth  that  has  been  fully  demon- 
strated from  many  years'  observations  in  connection  with 
the  opening  of  the  roads  in  the  spring.  The  same  observa- 
tions also  indicate  that,  so  far  as  snowfall  is  concerned, 
an  open  country  is  more  conducive  to  uniformity  of  flow 
and  a  prolonged  supply  extending  well  into  the  summer 
than  is  a  forest  covered  area.  The  broader  question  of  how 
far  forests  have  an  influence  upon  precipitation  is  one 
about  which  there  is  much  uncertaint}',  but  the  consensus 
(II) 


242  THE    YELLOWSTONE    NATIONAL    PARK. 

of  opinion  is  that  it  is  favorable,  and  that  the  forests  serve 
on  the  whole  as  great  natural  reservoirs  in  creating  and 
conserving  the  su^^ply  of  water. 

The  preservation  of  the  Park  forests  has  always  been  a 
matter  of  anxious  solicitude  on  the  part  of  the  authorities. 
Extreme  precautions  are  taken  to  prevent  iires,  and  severe 
penalties  are  visited  upon  anyone  who  is  careless  in  thia 
respect. 

Forest  fires  in  the  Park  arise  from  two  principal  causes 
— lightning  and  the  agency  of  man.  It  is  said  that  they 
have  been  started  from  the  friction  of  trees  rubbing  to- 
gether in  the  wind;  but  this  is  very  improbable. 

Lightning  is  undoubtedly  a  frequent  cause  of  fires,  and 
one  which  can  not  be  eliminated.  The  thunder  showers  of 
the  Park  are  characterized  by  intense  electrical  activity  and 
lightning  strokes  are  frequent  and  severe.  These  strokes 
often  take  place  when  there  is  very  little  rain — not  enough 
to  extinguish  any  fire  that  might  be  started.  The  danger  is 
therefore  a  formidable  one,  and  unhappily  one  that  will 
always  continue. 

In  like  manner  the  agency  of  man  in  causing  forest  fires 
dates  from  the  indefinite  past,  and  will  never  be  wholly 
eliminated.  It  is  thought  by  many  that  this  danger  is 
greater  now  than  it  used  to  be,  but  this  is  probably  not 
true  of  the  Park,  from  which  railroads  and  settlements  are 
excluded.  The  Indians  and  trappers  of  early  days  who 
wandered  through  this  region  were  not  confronted  with 
"extinguish  your  fires''  at  every  turn,  and  were  not  afraid 
of  the  guard  house  if  they  left  smoldering  coals  behind 
them.  Probably  their  camp  fires  caused  quite  as  many 
conflagrations  as  those  of  tourists  do  now. 

The  control  of  a  forest  fire  that  has  once  gotten  under 
way  is  next  to  impossible  except  by  the  aid  of  rain.    The 


FORESTS  OF  THE  YELLOWSTONE^  243 

fire  does  not  travel  on  the  ground,  as  on  the  prairie  or  in  a 
forest  of  deciduous  trees.  In  the  Park  there  is  not  gen- 
erally enough  material  of  the  right  character  on  the  ground 
to  enable  a  fire  to  gain  dangerous  headway.  The  real 
progress  is  through  the  tree  tops.  The  fire  leaps  up  among 
the  resinous  cones  and  leaves,  which  are  torn  off  in  flames, 
borne  on  the  wind  for  hundreds  of  feet,  where  they  stait 
new  fires,  and  the  process  is  repeated  indefinitely. 

It  is  impossible  to  battle  successfully  with  an  enemy 
like  this,  who  travels  through  the  air  and  laughs  at  the 
efforts  made  to  circumvent  him.  Only  at  night  or  in  the 
early  morning  is  there  the  least  possibility  of  making 
effective  headway  against  him.  The  chill  air  dampens  the 
fury  of  the  fire,  and  it  ceases  to  run  from  about  evening 
twilight  until  nine  or  ten  o'clock  in  the  morning.  The 
fiercest  progress  is  from  two  to  four  o'clock  in  the  after- 
noon, when  the  heat  and  wind  are  at  their  maximum.  The 
volume  of  smoke  given  off  by  these  forest  fires  is  very  dense 
and  heavy,  and  gives  an  exaggerated  impression  of  their 
magnitude. 

The  proportion  of  the  Park  territory  which  has  been 
burned  over  in  the  past  three  hundred  years  is  almost  as 
great  as  the  Park  itself.  Evidences  of  former  fires  abound 
everywhere,  from  the  dead  timber  of  last  year's  conflagra- 
tion to  full  grown  forests  which  still  show  on  close 
inspection  charred  remains  that  have  resisted  the  decay  of 
time.  The  charring  of  wood  gives  it  a  wonderful  preserv- 
ative power,  amounting  in  some  instances  to  practical 
indestructibility.  It  is,  therefore,  a  simple  matter  to  trace 
these  fires,  and  with  some  definite  starting  point  or  datum 
it  is  comparatively  easy  to  estimate  their  relative  ages. 
Fortunately  we  have  such  a  datum  which  not  only  serves 
our  present  purposes,  but  gives  a  clew  to,  the_origin  of  one 


244  Tlir.    YELLOWSTONE   KATIONAL    PARK. 

of  the  most  important  geographical  names  of  the  Park.  In 
the  journal  of  a  clerk  of  the  American  Fur  Company,* 
who  spent  the  years  1830-35  in  the  country  around  the 
Park,  the  fact  is  recorded  that  the  name  ^^Burnt  Hole,"  or 
its  equivalent,  Firehole^  arose  from  a  great  forest  fire  that 
swept  over  this  region  a  ^"'few  years  before."  The  name 
itself  was  applied  then,  as  now,  to  the  Firehole  Geyser 
Basins.  This  fire  must  have  been  as  late  as  1826,  for  it 
was  not  until  then  that  American  trappers  began  to  fre- 
quent this  region,  and  were  there  to  note  the  facts.  Its 
remains  are  still  everywhere  visible,  and.  the  process  of 
decay,  as  compared  with  other  traceable  fire  effects,  is  cer- 
tainly not  more  than  half  completed.  The  trunks  of  trees 
that  were  killed  three-quarters  of  a  century  ago  still  retain 
their  form,  though  shattered  by  decay ;  while  in  many  other 
places  they  have  returned  completely  to  the  mother  earth, 
and  full  grown  trees  rise  above  them,  with  only  a  charred 
remnant  here  and  there  to  record  the  story  of  the  past. 

The  burned  areas  generally  grow  up  again,  though  rarely 
to  their  full  extent,  and  the  ultimate  result  of  every  fire  is 
probably  to  diminish  the  forest  area.  The  young  pine 
thickets  are  exceedingly  dense  and  a  large  proportion  of 
the  trees  die  out  in  the  process  of  growth.  The  down  tim- 
ber resulting  from  forest  fires  is  a  great  obstacle  to  travel 
and  renders  the  country  in  many  places  absolutely  im- 
passable on  horseback. 

To  what  extent  these  forest  fires  are  an  injury  to  the 
Park  it  is  impossible  to  say.  If  they  could  come  in  the 
right  spots  through  the  southern  and  central  portions  of 
the  Park  and  leave  us  more  pasturage  where  the  lodge  pole 
pine  now  holds  sway,  the  Park  would  be  the  gainer.    If  it 


*  See  Page  38. 


Ornamental  Forest  Growths. 


FORESTS  OF  THE  YELLOWSTONE.  2^:5 

were  possible  to  break  up  these  dense  masses  into  smaller 
groups  like  those  around  Mt.  Washburn,  every  benefit  that 
flows  from  the  forests  would  still  obtain,  the  landscape 
would  be  beautified,  the  game  pasturage  would  be 
increased,  while  the  open  spaces  would  facilitate  the  arrest 
of  such  fires  as  might  break  out. 

But  there  is  no  obvious  way  of  accomplishing  this  result 
within  any  reasonable  cost.  Certainly  the  forest  fire  is  not 
one.  It  is  as  liable  to  break  out  in  the  wrong  place  as  in 
the  right  one.  It  creates  a  devastated  area  which  for  years 
is  a  blot  upon  the  landscape.  This  is  followed  by  a  gener- 
ation of  down  timber  aggravated  by  impenetrable  growths 
of  jack  pine,  and  the  final  outcome,  after  a  century  or  two 
of  time,  is  a  forest  like  that  which  was  destroyed.  If  it 
were  ever  considered  desirable  to  thin  out  the  forests  in 
any  portion  of  the  Park  it  would  have  to  be  done  by  arti- 
ficial means.  The  government  may  yet  find  it  to  it?  advan- 
tage to  permit  certain  sections  to  be  deforested  and  turned 
into  pasturage,  but  it  will  never  be  found  practicable  to 
utilize  forest  fires  for  this  purpose. 


CHAPTER  Vni. 

THE  FLOWERS  OF  THE  PAKK. 

Occasionally  a  ^dsitor  comes  to  the  Yellowstone  with  a 
very  literal  idea  of  what  is  meant  by  the  word  park.  He 
is  looking  for  beautifully  aligned  walks  and  roadways, 
carpet-like  lawns^  formal  beds  of  flowers,  and  other  feat- 
ures of  the  conventional  city  park.  With  something  of  a 
shock  he  encounters  the  actual  reality  as  it  exists  where 
the  majority  of  tourists  enter  the  Park,  and  it  does  indeed 
seem,  at  first  sight,  as  if  the  name  was  a  little  out  of 
place  when  applied  to  such  a  region. 

But  if  this  country  as  a  whole  seems  more  like  a  wonder- 
land than  a  park,  there  are  hundreds  of  genuine  parks 
scattered  all  through  it.  The  traveler  who  leaves  the  main 
road  to  follow  one  of  the  many  trails  that  lead  through  the 
woods  to  some  distant  mountain  peak  is  sure,  in  time^,  to 
come  upon  spots  more  picturesque  and  beautiful  than 
an}i;hing  art  can  produce.  Take,  for  example,  a  sparsely 
wooded  glade  on  the  slope  of  Mt.  Washburn,  carpeted  with 
the  numerous  native  grasses  and  threaded  by  a  silver 
rivulet  from  the  melting  snows  above.  Fir  and  spruce,  in 
dark  evergreen  masses,  contrast  with  the  soft  green  of 
the  quaking  aspen  or  the  mellow  brown  of  certain  char- 
acteristic shrubs.  Here  and  there,  perchance,  lie  prostrate 
forms  of  forest  trees,  returning,  by  the  slow  process  of 
decay,  to  the  soil  from  which  they  sprung.  Ever}^where, 
in  contrast,  the  animating  presence  of  life,  ^laughing  "«ith 
joy  for  its  wild  freedom,^'  reflects  the  abounding  health 
and  vigor  of  Xature.    Far  upward^  through  the  openings 


THE  FLOWERS   OF   THE   PARK.  247 

of  the  trees,  the  mountain  stands  forth  in  silent  majesty, 
while  over  it  the  white  clouds  are  winging  their  way  across 
the  canopy  of  the  deep  blue  sky. 

But  there  remains  to  be  mentioned  the  most  attractive 
feature  of  the  picture  and  the  one  that  gives  the  finishing 
touch  to  its  beaut}- — the  native  wild  flowers.  The  Yellow- 
stone Park  is,  in  fact,  one  vast  garden  of  flowers.  They 
grow  almost  everywhere,  and  one  rarely  finds  a  spot  so 
sterile  that  Xature  has  failed  to  beautify  it  with  some 
simple  blossom.  They  lift  their  heads  almost  from  under 
the  melting  drifts,  and  they  persist  in  the  fall  until  the 
snow  crushes  them  to  the  ground.  They  seem  all  to  come 
at  once,  for  their  time  is  short,  and  has  to  be  improved 
while  it  lasts.  Tlieir  beauty,  moreover,  increases  with  the 
hardness  of  their  environment,  and  the  most  exquisite 
tints  are  found  in  those  lofty  and  exposed  situations  where 
the  conditions  of  growth  seem  most  unfavorable.  One  of 
the  pleasantest  surprises  to  visitors  who  ascend  any  of  the 
high  mountains  is  in  finding  the  permanent  snow  banks 
bordered  with  banks  of  flowers,  so  dense  and  rich  as  to 
paint  the  ground  with  their  color. 

With  few  exceptions,  the  flowers  of  the  Park  are  not 
particularly  fragrant,  and,  like  all  wild  flowers,  they  wilt 
quickly  in  the  hand,  but  revive  in  water,  and  can  thus  be 
preserved  for  a  considerable  time.  AMien  skillfully  com- 
bined by  an  artist  in  that  kind  of  work,  and  interspersed 
with  grasses  and  leaves,  they  yield  more  exquisite  bouquets 
than  can  be  made  from  cultivated  flowers. 

To  the  true  lover  of  Xature  the  flowers  of  the  Park  will 
always  be  one  of  its  greatest  attractions.  The  unique 
phenomena  of  this  region  produce  a  vivid  impression  b}^ 
their  very  strangeness,  but  it  is  not  an  impression  that 
lasts.     One  quickly  .wearies  of  anything  that  exists  in. 


248  THE    YELLOWSTONE    NATIONAL    P^iRK. 

apparent  violence  of  the  orderly  course  of  Nature,  and  he 
finds  a  more  enduring  satisfaction  in  common  things,  like 
the  wild  flowers  of  forest  or  mountain.  Theirs  is  a 
charm  that  never  grows  old;  their  sweet  influence  never 
ceases ;  and  they  return  in  fresh  radiance  with  every  spring 
to  remind  us  anew  of  life's  beauty. 

It  would  be  quite  impossi1:)le,  within  the  limits  of  this 
chapter,  to  give  a  full  description  of  the  flowers  of  the 
Park,  for  they  run  well  up  into  the  hundreds.  We  shall 
note  about  sixty  of  the  more  important  species — ^those 
which  the  visitor  is  sure  to  see  on  his  tour,  particularly  if 
made  in  the  latter  part  of  June  or  the  flrst  half  of  July. 
There  are  a  few  species  that  disappear  early  in  the  season, 
and  a  considerable  number  that  are  gone  before  the  first 
of  August;  but,  owing  to  the  range  of  altitude,  a  large 
proportion  of  the  flowers  can  be  found  in  one  locality  or 
another  nearly  the  entire  season.  In  the  following  list  the 
popular  and  generic  names  are  given  in  most  cases,  but 
the  specific  names  are,  with  few  exceptions,  omitted. 

Among  the  early  arrivals  the  most  beautiful  is  the 
Bitter-root  (Lewisia  rediviva).  Because  of  the  infre- 
quency  of  warm,  early  springs  in  the  Park,  this  flower  is 
not  always  al^undant  there;  but  under  favorable  conditions 
it  fairly  covers  the  hillsides  near  Mammoth  Hot  Springs, 
and  in  the  lower  altitudes,  with  its  delicate  pink  blossoms. 
It  is  an  exquisite  star-shaped  flower,  growing  close  to  the 
ground,  and  is  unusual  in  having  no  green  in  stem  or 
calyx,  which  are  of  the  pink  of  the  flower,  tipped  with 
brown.  The  root  of  this  plant  was  extensively  used  by  the 
Indians  for  food. 

The  Bitter-root  has  been  chosen  as  the  State  flower  of 
Montana. 

The  Lungwort  (Mertensia)  is  another  early  arrival,  and 


THE  FLOWERS  OF  THE  PARK.  249 

its  large  blue  clusters  grow  in  profusion  on  the  hills  be- 
tween Mammoth  Hot  Springs  and  the  Golden  Gate. 

A  flower  that  is  seen  almost  every-where  in  the  early 
spring,  soon  after  the  snow  disappears,  is  the  Phlox,  of 
which  there  are  at  least  six  recognized  species  in  the  Park. 
It  grows  close  to  the  ground  in  compact  masses,  which 
form  mats  of  delicately  tinted  blossoms.  It  is  one  of  the 
few  wild  flowers  that  possess  a  genuine  fragrance,  and  its 
odor  fills  the  air  wherever  it  grows.  Its  color  shades  from 
white  to  every  delicate  tint  of  lavender  and  pink,  produc- 
ing exquisite  efl'ects.  A  peculiarity  of  this  flower  is  that 
it  gains  a  quick  foothold  on  the  newly  made  grades  along 
the  tourist  route. 

Violets  are  found  in  six  or  seven  distinct  species;  but 
their  season  is  short  and  very  early,  an,d  as  they  choose 
secluded  spots  for  their  blooming,  they  are  not  often  seen 
by  tourists. 

Probably  the  most  abundant  flower  in  the  Park  is  the 
Lupine  (Lupinus,  in  six  species.)  It  is  found  in  almost 
every  locality,  and  grows  in  masses  on  the  grassy  hillsides 
in  every  shade  of  color — from  a  lavender  so  pale  as  to  be 
almost  white,  to  the  deepest  blue  or  purple.  Its  graceful 
form  and  variety  of  tint  are  its  chief  attractions. 

The  bright  blue  of  the  Larkspur  (Delphinium,  in  five 
species)  is  likewise  found  everywhere  throughout  the 
Park.  It  is  dreaded  by  stockmen  as  a  plant  poisonous  to 
sheep  and  cattle. 

That  somber  and  appropriately-named  plant  the  Monk's- 
hood,  or  Wolfsbane  (Aconitiim),  is  also  poisonous.  It 
flourishes  best  in  the  higher  altitudes,  and  in  damp 
ground.  The  body  of  the  blossom  is  white,  but  it  is  so 
deeply  varied  with  purple  as  to  give  the  color-character  to 
the  flower. 


250  THE    YELLOWSTONE    NATIONAL    PARK. 

A  flower  which  grows  in  fascinating  variety  throughout 
the  Park,  and  is  a  particular  favorite  with  many,  is  the 
Indian  Paint,  Brush  (Castilleja),  also  called  the  Painted 
Cup  or  Indian  Pink.  It  is  found  almost  everywhere.  In 
the  lower  altitudes  it  takes  on  all  the  shades  of  Indian  red 
— ^the  color  it  is  best  known  by  in  other  regions.  But  it  is 
in  the  higher  altitudes,  well  up  toward  the  mountain 
peaks,  that  it  is  to  be  seen  in  its  greatest  beauty.  Here  it 
assumes  a  very  diiferent  dress,  and  attains  a  perfection 
of  size,  form  and  color  which  the  other  varieties  hardly 
suggest.  It  is  generally  of  a  deep  rose  or  crimson,  like  an 
American  Beauty,  but  ranges  through  every  shade  of  these 
particular  colors.  It  is  an  interesting  fact  that  the  real 
blossom  of  this  brilliant  plant  is  so  small  as  to  be  scarcely 
perceptible.  What  gives  it  its  wealth  of  color  is  the  leaf 
which  grows  in  thick  clusters  at  the  top  of  the  stem,  to 
protect  the  tiny  blossoms  it  conceals. 

The  Forget-me-not  is  another  characteristic  flower  of 
the  Park.  The  true  forget-me-not  (Myosotis  alpestrls)  is 
found  only  at  high  altitudes,  almost  at  the  mountain 
summits,  in  fact.  Here  it  is  of  a  deep  blue  and  grows  in 
thick  clusters  close  to  the  ground.  Lower  down  occurs 
what  seems  to  be  another  variety  of  the  same  flower,  more 
beautiful,  without  doubt,  than  the  first.  It  groM^s  much 
taller,  in  branching,  feathery  clusters,  and  is  of  a  paler 
blue,  though  of  the  same  rare  tint — the  tint  that  one 
always  associates  with  this  particular  flower.  It  seems,  in 
fact,  to  respond  to  one's  idea  of  what  a  forget-me-not 
should  be,  but  botanists  tell  us  that  it  belongs  to  a  differ- 
ent genus  (Lappula).  It  sometimes  grows  in  such 
abundance  as  to  impart  its  color  to  the  hillside. 

Another  flower  of  this  same  rare  blue  is  the  wild  flax 


THE  FLOWERS  OF  THE  PARK.  251 

(Linum  Lewisii).  It  is  exquisite  but  perishable,  the  petals 
falling  easily  at  the  approach  of  midday.  It  Is  found 
everywhere  throughout  the  Park. 

What  is  considered  by  man[y  the  most  beautiful  flower 
in  the  Park  is  the  Columbine  (Aquilegia),  Certainly,  in 
grace  of  form  and  delicacy  of  coloring  it  is  unsurpassed. 
The  varied  tints  of  these  dainty  flowers  elude  description. 
The  palest  are  cream- white,  and  the  others  seem  made  up  of 
every  faint  shade  of  yellow,  pink,  blue  and  purple.  The 
plant  grows  about  a  foot  high,  with  pendent  blossom, 
swinging  like  a  bell  from  its  slender  stem.  It  flourislies 
best  in  the  open  forests  at  high  altitudes,  and  its  favorite 
habitat  is  Mt.  Washburn. 

An  experienced  collector  of  Park  flowers  has  called  the 
fringed  gentian  (Gentiana  elegaiis),  "the  characteristic 
flower  of  the  Park  as  well  as  the  most  beautiful.''  While 
this  is  perhaps  too  sweeping  a  claim,  tlie  flower  is  certain- 
ly very  abundant  and  of  great  beauty.  It  grows  in  the 
moist  places  of  the  geyser  basins  and  in  the  mountain 
meadows  everywhere.  Its  deep  rich  blue  color  is  found 
in  no  other  flower,  and  there  are  few  flowers  which,  on 
close  inspection,  displays  so  flne  a  texture.  It  difl'ers  in 
size  from  the  gentian  of  the  east,  being  slightly  smaller. 
It  flourishes  in  great  beauty  around  the  Upper  Geyser 
Basin,  where  there  have  heeix  found  specimens  of  a  pure 
white. 

The  Immortelle,  or  Everlasting  of  the  East  (Anaphalis) 
is  quite  common.  It  is  a  sub-alpine  plant,  and  its  blos- 
som is  of  a  delicate,  velvety  white.  Properly  cared  for  it 
retains  its  beauty  for  an  indefinite  period. 

ThcSulphur  Flower  or  Umbrella  Plant  {Eriogonum,  five 
or  six  species)  grows  in  great  profusion  through  the  moun- 


252  THE    YELLOWSTONE    NATIONAL   PARK. 

tain  portions  of  the  Park — sometimes  fairly  covering  the 
hillsides'  with  its  varied  ^ades  of  cream  white,  sulphur, 
yellow  and  red. 

The  wild  Geranium,  cranesbill  magenta  (Geranium) 
grows  profusely  along  the  roadside.  It  is  conspicuous  be- 
cause of  the  strong  magenta  color  of  its  blossoms;  but  it 
can  hardly  be  called  a  beautiful  flower.  The  leaves  of  the 
plant  turn  red  in  autumn. 

The  Harebell  (Campanula  roiundifoUa)  is  an  abundant 
flower.  It  grows  in  clusters  along  the  roadside  everywhere 
and  is  dainty  and  beautiful  here  as  in  other  regions. 

One  of  the  most  brilli-ant  and  effective  of  all  the  flow- 
ers, through  more  rarely  seen  than  many  others,  is  the 
Blue  Penstemon,  Beard  Tongue  (Penstemon,  there  are  no 
fewer  than  thirteen  species  of  this  genus  in  the  Park).  Its 
long  stem,  growing  from  six  inches  to  two  feet  or  more  in 
height,  holds  clusters  of  trumpet-shaped  bells  of  an  inde- 
scribably rich  blue,  often  tinged  at  the  base  with  wine 
color.  It  is  seen  rather  sparsely  scattered  in  dry  places 
near  the  roads. 

A  plant  most  characteristic  of  the  Park,  and  a  conspicu- 
ous ornament  in  the  landscape  at  all  seasons,  is  the  Fire 
Weed  or  WiUow  Herb  (Epilohium).  When  in  bloom,  its 
long  clusters  of  a  peculiar  magenta  pink,  on  stems  from 
a  foot  to  five  feet  in  height,  decorate  the  roadway  and  hill- 
side in  all  localities,  and  when  the  blossoms  have  passed, 
the  leaves  take  on  a  brilliant  red,  and  are  an  important 
element  in  the  autumnal  coloring.  This  plant  takes  its 
name  from  its  tendency  to  grow  in  localities  that  have 
been  devastated  by  fire. 

Clinging  to  the  rocks  around  Golden  Gate,  often  where 
there  is  no  visible  soil,  may  be  seen  the  Evening  Primrose, 
or  Eock  Rose  (Oenothera,  four  species j.     Its  large  beau- 


THE  FLOWERS  OF  THE  PARK.  253 

tiful  blossoms  open  at  sunset  and  close  about  noon.  They 
are  white  at  lirst,  but  gradually  turn  a  deep  rose  pink. 
The  roots  of  the  plant  are  long,  as  if  going  deep  in  their 
search  for  water.  These  flowers  are  very  interesting  in 
their  habit  of  growth — bright,  little  bouquets  hanging  up 
in  the  rocks.  Fortunately,  their  period  of  flowering  is  a 
long  one. 

One  of  the  daintiest  of  all  the  flowers,  and  one  some- 
what resembling  the  Columbine  in  grace  of  form,  is  the 
yellow  Adder's  Tongue  (Erythronium).  This  has  been 
called  the  Dogtooth  Violet,  surely  a  gross  misnomer.  In 
California  it  is  most  appropriately  called  the  Easter  Lily, 
but  Easter  has  long  passed  before  it  makes  its  appearance 
in  the  Park.  There  is  no  gayer  sight  than  a  mass  of  these 
yellow  lilies,  as  one  comes  upon  them  in  the  woods  under 
some  spreading  tree — ^as  "jocund  company"  as  are  the  daf- 
fodils which  inspired  Wordsworth's  immortal  lines. 

The  Mountain  Primrose  (Primula)  is  a  brilliant,  crim- 
son, bell-shaped  flower  on  long  branching  stems,  gro\Wng 
close  to  the  water's  edge  along  the  mountain  streams.  It 
is  not  abundant  and  is  rarely  seen  by  tourists,-  except  in 
Spring  Creek  Canon,  on  the  road  from  the  Upper  Geyser 
Basin  to  the  Yellowstone  Lake. 

The  PyroUa  (five  species)  is  a  little  flower,  so  rare  that 
it  perhaps  hardly  deserves  a  place  in  this  short  list,  but  its 
beauty  is  of  such  rare  quality  as  to  justify  including  it. 
It  resembles  in  size  and  general  appearance  the  Lily  of 
the  Yalley,  and  is  found  in  the  woods  about  Yellowstone 
Lake. 

The  Monkey-face  (Mimulus)  is  a  bright  little  yellow 
flower  growing  in  wet  places  at  the  edge  of  streams. 

That  wonderful,  night  blooming  flower  (Menizelia)  is 
considered  by  some  the  most  beautiful  in  the  Rocky  Moun- 


254  fHE    YtLLOWSTOXE    X^ATIOXAL    PARK. 

tains.  It  is  not  Avell  known  because  it  chooses  as  its  habitat 
only  the  most  desolate  and  arid  spots^  and  because  its 
blossoms  can  be  seen  onl}^  at  night.  The  plant  somewhat 
resembles  a  thistle  and  would  not  win  a  second  glance  from 
the  passer-by  in  the  day  time  when  its  marvelous  satin- 
like blossom  is  tight-folded  in  its  bed  of  grayish  green. 
When  open  at  night  it  exhales  a  rich,  heavy  perfume 
which,  like  the  gleaming  white  of  its  blossom,  attracts 
night-fiying  insects. 

This  flower  is  found  quite  abundantly  below  Mammoth 
Hot  Springs,  and  is  locally  known  as  the  Night  Blooming 
Cereus;  but  this  niame  properly  applies  only  to  a  tropical 
cactus,  Cereus  gi'andiflorns. 

The  Yellow  Water  Lily  (Nymphae  polysepala)  is  found 
in  great  abundance  in  some  of  the  lakes  and  ponds.  It  is 
particularly  noticeable  in  the  little  pond  at  the  first  cross- 
ing of  the  Continental  Divide  above  the  Upper  Geyser 
Basin. 

The  Aster,  in  not  fewer  than  twelve  distinct  species,  is 
found  ever\'where  throughout  the  Park  and  during  the 
entire  season.  It  is  one  of  the  first  flowers  of  spring  and 
the  last  to  disappear  in  the  fall. 

The  Sunflower  (Helianthus)  is  represented  by  several 
species  and  grows  in  great  profusion,  as  does  also  the  allied 
genus  Helianthella. 

Besides  the  flowers  briefly  described  above,  the  follow- 
ing may  be  mentioned  as  among  those  which  are  quite  sure 
to  fall  under  the  eye  of  the  tourist : 

The  Anemone  or  Wind  Flower  (Anemone  in  two  spo- 
Qies) ;  the  Pasque  flower  (Pulsatilla  hirsutissima) ;  the 
Arnica  plant  (Arnica,  seven  species),  a  bright  yellow 
flower  growing  in  the  shade  of  evergreen  trees;  the  But- 
tercup (Banunculus)  in  at  least  thirteen  different  species; 


THE  FLOWERS  OF  THE  PAKK. 


256 


two  flowers,  the  .Marsh  Mallow  (Caltha  hptosepala) ,  and 
the  Globe  Flower  (TruUius  alblflorus),  of  the  same  family 
and  growing  in  the  same  environment;  the  Shooting-star 
or  Ameriean  Cowslip  (Dodecatlieon,  in  four  species),  a 
l^eantiful  flower  of  wide  distribution;  the  Prickly  Pear 
(Opuntia  polyacantlia)  wliich  has  a  delicate  and  beautiful 
blossom;  the  Double  Bladder-pod  (Physaria),  one  of.  many 
representatives  of  the  Mustard  family;  Jacob's  Ladder,  or 
Greek  Valerian  (Polymonium,  in  four  species) ;  the 
Golden  Eod  (Solidago,  in  five  species) ;  that  beautiful  resi- 
dent of  high  altitudes,  Townsendii,  in  five  species;  the 
Clematis  Douglasii,  more  beautiful  in  seed  than  in  flower; 
the  Douglasii  Montana,  an  exquisite  little  pink  flower,  of 
the  Primrose  family  which  grows  in  great  profusion  in 
certain  localities;  the  Spring  Beauty  (Clayionia),  and  tlie 
Thistle  (Cardials  in  two  species). 

Among  the  flowering  shrubs  and  vines  the  more  promi- 
aent  are: 

The  Wild  Eose,  which  is  present  in  great  abundance  in 
the  lower  altitudes  and  is  conspicuous  both  for  its  beautiful 
blossoms  in  spring  and  its  scarcely  less  beautiful  foliage  in 
fall;  the  Spirea;  the  Shad  Bush,  or  Ser\dce  Berry,  which 
is  covered  with  white  flowers  in  spring;  the  Mountain  x\sh, 
the  Labrador  and  Xew  Jersey  tea  plants,  the  several  varie- 
ties of  berry  l^ushes,  and  the  Strawberry  plant  which  grows 
all  over  the  Park. 

There  are  several  representatives  of  the  fern  family  in 
the  Park,  the  mo#t  important  being  the  Cystopteris  fra- 
gilis,  wliich  has  a  general  distribution  throughout  the 
reservation. 

The  beautiful  but  destructive  parasite,  the  Mistletoe,  is 
found  on  the  lodge  pole  pine. 

The  Orchid  family  has  nimierous  representatives  in  the 


256  THE    YELLOWSTONE    NATIONAL    PAR^. 

Park,  the  most  important  being  the  Calypso  hulbosa  or 
horealis. 

There  are  many  trees  and  shrubs  in  the  Park,  some  of 
which  are  described  in  the  two  preceding  chapters,  that 
yield  such  beautiful  autumnal  foliage  as  almost  to  entitle 
them  to  be  classed  with  the  flowers.  Among  the  more  con- 
spicuous are  the  Quaking  Aspen,  the  Eed  Osier  or  Dog- 
wood (Cornus  stolonifera),  the  Oregon  Grape  (Berheris 
agrifolium),  valued  for  its  medicinal  qualities,  and  the 
Nine-bark  (Opulaster  paucifloriis). 

Several  of  the  grasses  are  exceedingly  beautiful  in  their 
season  of  blossom,  and,  like  the  autumn  leaves,  deserve  to 
be  considered  with  the  flowers. 

It  may  be  added  that  certain  domestic  flowers  grow  unu- 
sually well  under  cultivation  in  the  Park.  This  is  par- 
ticularly true  of  Pansies,  which  attain  a  size  of  blossom 
and  a  richness  of  coloring  unsurpassed  anywhere. 


CHAPTER  IX. 


THE  CLIMATE  OF  THE  PARK. 


Take  it  in  all  its  phases,  year  in  and  year  out,  the  climate 
of  the  Park  is  as  delightful  and  health  giving  as  it  is 
possible  to  find.  None  of  the  ordinary  causes  of  disease 
which  pervade  the  atmosphere  or  reside  in  the  "water  in 
lower  altitudes  are  found  here.  There  are  no  great 
extremes  of  heat  and  cold,  or  of  moisture  or  drought. 

Table  of  Mean  Mojithly  Te7?iperatiires ,  Fahrenheit,  Based 
upon  te?i  years'  observations  {i8pi-i^oo). 


Month. 


January . .  . 
February. . 

March 

April 

May    

June 

Jtiiy 

August 

September 
October. . . 
November. 
December . 


M 

rt 

>^ 

Ph 

o 

a 

w 

M 

03 

u 

OJ 

0 

0 

q 

^ 

0 

o 

^ 

^ 

h4 

Ph 

5 

^ 

tn 

'^ 

iS.3 

30.6 

53-0 

32.2 

13-3 

23.6 

19.1 

30.9 

55-S 

33-0 

14.2 

24.1 

22.6 

37-8 

62.6 

43-5 

26.4 

33-3 

35.2 

49-4 

6S.6 

57.8 

46.9 

46.9 

44.1 

60.0 

75-5 

66.4 

57-8 

56.7 

54.8 

6q.6 

80.1 

76.2 

67.8 

67.4 

61.2 

73.8 

81.7 

78.3 

71.8 

72.0 

61. 1 

73-7 

82.0 

78.5 

70.3 

71.6 

52.3 

67.5 

79-3 

72.6 

62.7 

65.8 

40.4 

56.0 

70.5 

59-9 

49.6 

53-5 

26.5 

45-0 

61.7 

44-8 

29.2 

37.3 

20.4 

35.6 

55-4 

36.5 

19.8 

28.6 

29.4 

31-5 
40.2 
49.1 

57-1 
66.4 

74-4 
74.3 
64.8 
52.0 
41.8 
30-4 


The  Park  temperatures  are  for  Mammoth  Hot  Springs. 
(II*) 


258  TTIE    YELLOWSTOXE    NATIONAL    PARK. 

The  air  is  clear,  electrical  and  bracing,  the  nights  always 
cool,  the  altitude  exhilarating,  the  odor  of  the  evergreen 
forests  invigorating,  while  the  varied  and  beautiful  scenery 
exalts  the  mind  and  diverts  attention  from  cares  which  are 
often  the  real  cause  of  physical  ills.  In  the  broadest  and 
highest  sense  the  Park  is  a  sanitarium  which  rarely  fails  to 
give  substantial  benefits  to  those  who  seek  them. 

The  preceding  table  gives  the  mean  monthly  tempera- 
ture for  the  ten  j^ears,  1891-1900,  in  the  Yellowstone 
Park  and  in  several  of  the  largest  cities  of  the  United 
States.  The  Park  temperatures  are  for  Mammoth  Hot 
Springs.  For  the  general  plateau,  which  averages  1,500 
feet  higher,  these  figures  should  be  diminished  by  at  least 
ten  degrees.  In  the  middle  of  the  day  and  under  the  direct 
influence  of  the  sun,  August  temperatures  sometimes  reach 
ninety  degrees.  But  no  such  heat  pervades  the  general 
atmosphere,  and  in  the  shade  the  air  always  seems  cool. 
Night  temperatures  at  Mammoth  Hot  Springs  rarely 
exceed  sixty  degrees,  and  in  the  Upper  Park  scarcely  a  week 
passes  without  frost. 

The  winter  temperatures  of  the  Park,  so  far  as  they  have 
been  regularly  observed,  are  much  less  extreme  than  is  gen- 
erally suj)posed.  The  impression  prevails  that  the  Park 
in  winter  is  a  veritable  section  from  the  Polar  Eegions. 
The  facts  are  wholly  different.  Mammoth  Hot  Springs  has 
wonderfully  mild  and  temperate  winters.  The  proportion 
of  clear  days  which  characterizes  its  summers  is  equaled  if 
not  exceeded  by  those  of  its  winters.  The  snowfall  never 
reaches  a  depth  that  blockades  travel,  if  there  is  any 
determined  effort  to  keep  the  roads  open. 

In  the  upper  Park  the  weather  is  much  colder  and  the 
snowfall  much  greater.    The  mean  annual  fall  (light)  at 


THE  CLIMATE  OF  THE  PARK.  259 

Mammoth  Hot  Sprinp^s  for  the  ten  years,  1890-1900,  was 
8.6  feet,  with  a  maximum  of  12.3  feet  and  a  minimum  of 
5.5  feet.  In  the  upper  park  it  doubtless  amounts  to  twenty 
feet.  Its  weight  often  destroys  bridge  railings  and  light 
buildings,  and  it  shows  its  effects  every^vhere  upon  forest 
trees.  Drifts  accumulate  in  enormous  magnitude  and 
numberless  avalanches  fall  from  the  mountain  sides  every 
winter.  Nevertheless  it  is  not  until  late  in  the  winter  that 
the  fall  of  the  snow  really  blockades  travel,  and  it  would 
doubtless  be  possible  to  maintain  open  roads  the  year  round. 
The  great  depth  of  the  light  fall  of  snow  conveys  an  exag- 
gerated idea  of  its  real  depth.  It  settles  rapidly  and 
evaporates  like  water  in  the  summer  time.  Even  with  the 
temperature  below  the  freezing  point  the  snow  disappears 
with  very  noticeable  progress. 

The  winter  climate  at  Mammoth  Hot  Springs  is  un- 
doubtedly more  healthy  for  northern  people  than  the 
southern  resorts  which  are  so  much  patronized.  In  the 
Park  the  conditions  of  genuine  winter  are  expected  and 
provided  for.  Heating  and  clothing  are  adapted  to  the 
climate.  In  the  so-called  winter  resorts  there  is  too  little 
cold  to  make  winter  provision  for,  and  too  much  to  be  com- 
fortable without  it;  so  that  a  great  deal  of  the  expected 
pleasure  and  benefit  of  the  milder  climate  never  material- 
izes. In  the  Park  there  is  everything  that  a  lover  of 
genuine  ^dnter  desires — unlimited  opportunit}-  for  skating, 
coasting,  snow-shoeing  and  sleighing;  crisp  clear  air;  beau- 
tiful snowstorms;  fine  winter  scenery;  and  as  pure  and 
perfect  an  atmosphere  as  exists  on  the  globe. 

On  the  w^hole,  the  Park  climate,  both  in  summer  and 
winter,  is  thoroughly  tonic  in  its  effect  upon  the  system. 
These  benefits  are  probably  more  noticeable  after  three  or 
four  months'  sojourn  than  for  much   shorter  or  longer 


260  THE    YELLOWSTON^E    NATIONAL   PARK. 

periods.  As  a  place  for  continued  residence  the  altitude  is 
too  high  for  most  constitutions,  but  as  a  place  to  go  for  a 
few  months'  rest  and  recuperation  it  has  no  equal. 

A  matter  which  has  naturally  attracted  considerable 
inquiry  is  the  therapeutic  value  of  the  mineral  springs  of 
the  Park.  The  superstitious  faith  in  the  efficacy  of  min- 
eral waters  to  restore  healthy  which  has  characterized 
mankind  in  all  ages,  caused  the  physically  afflicted  to  hail 
the  discovery  of  this  region  as  the  promised  fountain  of 
new  life.  The  first  explorers  to  ascend  the  Gardiner  in 
1871  found  "numbers  of  invalids''  encamped  on  its  banks, 
where  the  hot  waters  from  Mammoth  Hot  Springs  enter 
that  stream:  and  it  is  recorded  that  "they  were  most 
emphatic  in  their  favorable  expressions  in  regard  to  their 
sanitary  effects/^ 

But  this  impression  was  very  evanescent.  No  one  now 
goes  to  the  Park  because  of  its  mineral  waters.  Neverthe- 
less, it  would  be  premature  to  assume  that  there  is  no 
medicinal  virtue  in  them.  There  is  in  the  Park  almost 
every  variety  of  mineral  spring;  there  are  abundant  and 
luxurious  waters  for  bathing;  and  it  is  not  at  all  improb- 
able that  the  opportunities  afforded  in  this  region  may  yet 
be  utilized  to  the  great  advantage  of  the  public* 

*  For  analysis  of  Park  waters  see  page  219. 


Golden  Gate  Viaduct. 


CHAPTEH  X. 

ROADS^   HOTELS  AND  TRANSrORTATION. 

The  Park  is  a  very  extensive  tract  of  country  and  its 
points  of  interest  are  widely  separated  from  each  other. 
The  ordinary  tour  requires  about  150  miles  of  travel  and 
one  week's  time.  The  question  of  ways  and  means  of 
making  it  in  comfort  is  an  all-important  one;  for  if  the 
roads  are  bad,  the  hotels  ill-kept,  or  the  transportation 
uncomfortable,  the  physical  discomforts  resulting  detract 
largely  from  the  pleasure  of  a  visit. 

The  road  system  of  the  Park  is  designed  to  provide  an 
entrance  on  each  of  the  four  sides,  and  to  give  access  to  all 
the  more  important  objects  of  interest.  The  mileage  of 
all  the  roads  -within  the  original  reservation  is  about  306 
miles;  that  of  connecting  roads  in  the  forest  reserves, 
built  and  maintained  by  the  government,  about  111  miles; 
making  a  total  of  417  miles.  This  mileage  may  be  ex- 
tended in  the  future,  although  it  is  the  present  policy  not 
to  multiply  the  roads,  but  to  restrict  them  as  much  as 
possible,  leaving  the  larger  area  of  the  Park  free  from  this 
form  of  civilized  intrusion. 

When  it  is  considered  that  these  roads  are  in  the  heart 
of  the  mountains,  where  the  country  is  wild  and  rugged, 
it  vnll  be  understood  that  the  problem  of  working  out  a 
satisfactory  system  is  a  very  large  one.  Many  things  have 
to  bo  considered  that  ordinary  railroad  work  is  free  of. 
Questions  of  drainage,  dust,  character  of  road  bed  are 
much  more  exacting  in  highway  construction.  It  is  only 
because  its  shorter  curves  and  heavier  grades  give  greater 
flexibility  of  location,  thus  avoiding  heavy  cuts  and  fills, 


262  THE    YELLOWSTOXE    NATIONAL    PARK. 

long  tunnels  and  high  bridges,  that  the  cost  of  a  first-class 
modern  highway  is  not  greater,  mile  for  mile,  than  that  of 
a  railroad  through  the  same  country.  The  full  magnitude 
of  the  Park  road  system  as  an  engineering  work  has  never 
been  appreciated  by  the  public  and  only  very  recently  has 
Congress  recognized  it  in  any  adequate  degree. 

The  first  person  to  submit  an  official  project  for  a  road 
system  in  the  Park  was  X.  P.  Langford,  first  Superintend- 
ent. In  his  annual  report  for  1872  he  presented  an  out- 
line of  what  was  then  urgently  required  and  asked  for  an 
appropriation  from  Congress,  l^othing  was  done,  how- 
ever, until  1877,  when  Congress  gave  $15,000  to  com- 
mence the  work.  P.  W.  Norris  had  succeeded  Mr.  Lang- 
ford  as  Superintendent  and  to  him  fell  the  task  of  build- 
ing the  first  government  roads  in  the  Park.  He  opened 
up  a  great  extent  of  country  in  the  next  four  years,  ex- 
pending for  this  and  other  purposes  nearly  $70,000.  The 
work  was  very  primitive  in  character,  no  attention  being 
given  to  proper  location  and  but  little  to  proper  construc- 
tion.   It  has  all  been  since  abandoned. 

In  1883  the  goverimient  sent  an  officer  of  the  Corps 
of  Engineers  to  take  charge  of  the  work  and  by  him  the 
general  project  for  the  existing  system  was  prepared. 
From  that  time  on,  for  many  years,  Congress  gave  small 
annual  appropriations,  a  portion  of  which  was  used  in  the 
building  of  roads.  The  usual  annual  appropriation  was 
$40,000.  In  the  year  1902  Congress  definitely  adopted 
an  estimate  for  the  work  and  pledged  the  sum  of  $750,000, 
to  be  given  in  three  equal  annual  instalments.  The  work 
has  remained  in  charge  of  the  Corps  of  Engineers  except 
during  the  four  years  from  1894  to  1898.  It  was  defi- 
nitely placed  under  the  Engineer  Department  by  Act  of 
Congress  of  June  6,  1900. 


ROADS,   HOTELS  AND  TRANSPORTATION.  263 

The  road  system  of  the  Park,  as  it  is  now  worked  out, 
embraces  a  general  circuit  or  belt  line  connecting  all  the 
important  centers  of  interest;  four  approaches  or  en- 
trances, one  on  each  side  of  the  Park,  numerous  side  roads 
to  isolated  objects  of  interest;  and  bridle  trails  through 
sections  of  the  Park  where  roads  are  not  likely  to  be 
built. 

The  main  circuit  of  the  system,  includes  the  following 
localities,  which  are  the  six  great  centers  of  attraction  in 
the  Park:  Mammoth  Hot  Springs,  ISTorris  Geyser  Basin, 
the  Firehole  Geyser  Basins,  Yellowstone  Lake,  the  Grand 
Canon  of  the  Yellowstone,  and  the  country  around  Tower 
Falls.  Between  the  east  and  west  sides  of  the  circuit, 
where  they  approach  nearest  each  other,  there  is  a  cross- 
road, extending  from  Norris  to  the  Grand  Caiion.  The 
total  mileage  of  the  belt  line  and  of  this  cross-road  is  152 
miles. 

The  most  important  of  the  approaches  is  that  from  the 
north,  where  the  Northern  Pacific  Eailroad  touches  the 
border  of  the  Park.  The  distance  from  this  point  to  the 
belt  line  at  Mammoth  Hot  Springs  is  five  miles. 

The  eastern  approach  lies  partly  within  the  Park  auJ 
partly  in  the  Yellowstone  Forest  Eeserve.  It  connect- 
with  the  Burlington  Railway  system  and  leads  from  the 
valley  of  Shoshone  River  through  Sylvan  Pass  to  the  belt 
line  at  the  Lake  outlet.  It  is  59  miles  long,  of  which  dis- 
tance 31  miles  is  within  the  Park. 

The  southern  approach  lies  partly  in  the  Park  and 
partly  in  the  Yellowstone  Forest  Eoserve.  It  has  at  present 
no  direct  connection  with  any  railroad.  Its  initial  point 
may  be  taken  at  the  confluence  of  Snake  River  and 
Buffalo  Fork,  whence  it  extends  up  the  valley  of  Snake 
River  to  Lewis  Lake  and  across  the  Continental  Divide  to 


264  THE    YELLOWSTOXE    NATIONAL    PARK. 

the  belt  line  on  the  west  shore  of  Yellowstone  Lake.  Its 
length  is  52  miles,  of  which  23  miles  is  within  the  Park. 

The  western  approach  lies  entirely  in  the  valley  of  the 
Madison  Eiver  and  its  two  tributaries,  the  Gibbon  and 
Firehole.  It  forks  at  the  confluence  of  these  two  strearrxs 
and  a  branch  ascends  each  until  it  intersects  the  belt  line. 
The  length  of  this  approach,  including  the  two  branches, 
is  20  miles,  all  of  which  lies  within  the  Park.  It  is  by 
this  approach  that  traffic  coming  from  the  Oregon  Short 
Line  Eailroad  (Union  Pacific)  enters  the  Park. 

The  principal  side  roads  of  the  Park  are  the  following: 
To  the  Middle  Gardiner  Falls  and  around  Bunsen  Peak; 
to  the  great  Fountain  Geyser  in  the  Lower  Basin ;  through 
the  various  points  of  interest  in  the  L^pper  Basin;  to  Sul- 
phur Mountain  in  Hayden  Valley;  to  iirtist  Point  on  the 
right  bank  of  the  Grand  Canon;  to  Inspiration  Point  on 
the  left  bank;  to  the  summit  of  Mt.  Washburn  from  Dun- 
"raven  Pass;  and  up  the  valleys  of  Lamar  River  and  Soda 
Butte  Creek  to  the  northeast  corner  of  the  Park.  The 
total  mileage  of  these  roads  is  about  71  miles. 

The  country  through  which  the  Park  roads  are  built  is 
rough  and  mountainous,  largely  covered  vrith.  dense  for- 
ests, intersected  ^vith  a  net  work  of  streams,  and  lying  at 
an  altitude  where  the  snow  falls  to  a  great  depth.  The 
soil  is  a  heterogeneous  mixture  of  a  great  variety  of  sub- 
stances which  are  for  the  most  part  unfit  for  road  build- 
ing. The  rock  is  nearly  all  of  a  volcanic  character  and 
with  few  exceptions  too  soft  for  a  satisfactory  macadam. 
Beds  of  valuable  gravel  occur  at  too  rare  intervals  for 
general  use  as  a  surfacing  material.  The  streams  are 
torrential  in  character  and  subject  to  heavy  freshets  in  the 
spring.  There  are  over  sixty  bridges  and  five  hundred 
culverts.    But  in  spite  of  this  evidence  of  the  great  abund- 


ROADS^  HOTELS  AND  TRANSPORTATION.  265 

ance  of  water,  the  chief  drawback  to  the  roads  is  its 
absence  in  the  right  place;  for  the  drought  of  summer 
never  fails  to  bring  with  it  a  dusty  road  bed.  The  natural 
conditions  for  road  building  and  maintenance  in  the  Park 
are  thus  seen  to  be  not  the  most  desirable. 

In  later  years  careful  attention  has  been  given  to  the 
location  of  the  roads,  an  important  consideration  always 
being  to  carry  them  where  they  will  develop  the  scenery 
of  the  Park  to  the  best  advantage.  The  final  locations 
are  not  everywhere  what  they  ought  to  be,  for  in  the  earlier 
work  very  little  attention  was  paid  to  this  matter,  and  in 
later  years  the  desire  to  save  cost  has  caused  the  retention 
of  several  faulty  pieces  of  work. 

In  the  work  of  construction,  the  right  of  way  through 
timber  is  taken  at  thirty  feet,  except  in  a  few  places  where 
it  has  been  widened  to  facilitate  the  melting  of  snow.  The 
surface  width  of  the  road  on  the  main  circuit  is  fixed  at 
eighteen  feet  and  the  limiting  gradient  at  eight  feet  in 
the  hundred.  On  this  portion  of  the  system  the  bridges 
are  all  to  be  of  steel  or  masonry  and  the  culverts  vitrified 
clay  pipe.  The  surface  is  to  be  metaled  with  crushed  rock 
or  gravel,  and  to  be  sprinkled  during  the  dry  season  with 
water  or  oil.  This  higher  character  of  work  extends  also 
to  the  northern  approach  which  is  subjected  to  the  heavi- 
est traffic  of  any  of  the  Park  roads. 

The  work  on  the  other  approaches  and  on  the  side  roads 
is  of  a  less  substantial  and  costly  character.  A  steeper 
gradient  and  narrower  width  are  permitted;  the  surface 
will  not  be  macadamized  or  sprinkled  in  the  near  future; 
and  wood  will  be  used  in  the  structures. 

Over  the  entire  svtjtem  mile-posts  of  turned  cedar  are 
provided.  They  are  numbered  on  opposite  sides  with  the 
nearest  full  miles  to  the  next  inijjortant  stopping  place. 

(12) 


266  THE    YELLOWSTONE    NATIONAL    PARK. 

Suitable  sign-boards  are  placed  at  all  junction  points,  and 
at  the  more  notable  objects  of  interest 

Among  the  more  interesting,  difBcult  and  costly  pieces 
of  work  are  the  following:  The  road  through  the  Lower 
Gardiner  Caiion;  the  passage  of  the  Travertine  Eocks, 
two  miles  and  a  half  above  Mammoth  Hot  Springs;  the 
cliff  road  in  Grolden  Gate  Canon;  the  water  grade  in  Gib- 
bon Caiion;  Spring  Creek  Canon,  Craig  Pass  and  Cork- 
screw Hill  on  the  Continental  Divide  Koad ;  the  road  along 
the  Eapids  of  the  Yellowstone ;  the  side  road  to  the  summit 
of  Mt.  Washburn;  the  cliff  road  at  Tower  Falls;" the  road 
through  the  East  Gardiner  Caiion;  and  the  crossing  of 
Sylvan  Pass  on  the  Eastern  Approach. 

The  principal  structures  are:  The  entrance  gate  at  the 
north  boundary ;  the  Golden  Gate  Viaduct ;  the  Melan  Arch 
Bridge  over  the  Eapids  of  the  Yellowstone;  the  wooden 
arch  bridge  over  a  dry  ravine  in  the  same  vicinity;  a  steel 
arch  bridge  over  Cascade  Creek;  the  new  Baronett  Bridge 
over  the  Yellowstone;  the  arch  bridge  over  Tower  Creek; 
and  the  five- span  steel  arch  over  the  Middle  Gardiner. 

Such,  in  its  main  feature  is  the  road  system  of  the 
Park  as  assured  in  the  immediate  future.  It  must  not  be 
supposed,  however,  that  this  will  be  the  limit  of  govern- 
ment endeavor  to  build  up  here  the  finest  system  of  moun- 
tain roads  in  the  world;  and  we  may  be  pardoned  for 
stepping  ahead  into  the  future  and  forecasting  what  the 
final  development  of  this  road  system  v^hould  be. 

The  present  location  will  never  be  changed  except  in 
minor  details.  The  width  of  the  roads  should  be  gradually 
increased;  the  improvement  of  the  surface  should  be  car- 
ried on  until  a  rock  road  bed  is  everywhere  secured;  the 
means  of  laying  dust  should  be  developed  to  the  highest 
possible  efficiency ;  strong  guard  walls  should  be  built  along 


ROADS,  HOTELS  AND  TRANSPORTATION.       267 

all  side  hill  grades ;  the  dead  and  decaying  timber  should  be 
cleared  away  from  the  roads  to  a  distance  of  100  feet,  the 
trees  thinned  out,  and  grass  and  shrubbery  introduced 
to  beautify  the  roadside  and  induce  game  to  show  them- 
selves ;  the  structures  should  be  built,  as  far  as  possible,  of 
rustic  design,  in  the  rough  native  stone,  and  all  other  work 
should  be  carried  out  with  due  reference  to  the  purpose  of 
the  roads  as  public  highways  in  the  world's  greatest  of 
natural  parks.  The  opportunities  for  artistic  work  in 
harmony  with  the  surroundings  are  almost  endless, 
and  it  is  to  those  who  are  to  follow  after  the  pioneer  work 
is  done  that  the  real  satisfaction  of  definite  results  will 
come. 

It  is  the  ultimate  realization  of  an  end  like  this  that 
will  permanently  exclude  railroads  from  the  Park.  The 
only  real  argument  in  their  favor  now  is  the  discomfort  of 
coach  travel  arising  from  the  condition  of  the  roads.  The 
final  result  will  be  a  matter  of  considerable  time;  but  it 
will  come;  and  if  the  present  policy  is  adhered  to,  future 
generations  will  commend  that  wisdom  which  excluded 
from  this  region  the  innovations  of  modern  travel,  and  left 
one  place  in  the  world  where  the  horse  and  the  coach  can 
not  be  displaced  by  steam  or  electricity. 

The  hotel  system  of  the  Park  will  eventually  include 
buildings  at  Mammoth  Hot  Springs,  Norris  Geyser  Basin, 
the  Lower  Geyser  Basin,  the  Upper  Geyser  Basin,  the 
West  Shore  of  the  Yellowstone  Lake,  the  Lake  Outlet,  the 
Grand  Canon,  and  Tower  Falls;  with  probably  additional 
ones  on  the  eastern  and  southern  approaches.  Five  of  these 
buildings  are  already  in  existence.  They  include  all  essen- 
tial modern  appurtenances  of  a  first-class  hotel,  and  will, 
of  courso;  be  improved  and  developed  with  the  increase  of 
travel. 


268  THE   YELLOWSTONE    NATIONAL   PARK. 

There  is  an  hotel  system  in  vogue  in  the  Park,  which 
has  served  satisfactorily  for  several  years  a  large  section 
of  the  traveling  public,  and  has  gained  wide  popularity.  It 
is  the  "permanent  camp"  system  established  by  W.  W. 
Wylie,  and  hitherto  known  by  his  name.  It  consists  vir- 
tually of  hotels  under  canvas,  and  its  chief  merit  lies  in 
the  more  economical  service  which  it  provides  for  the 
tourist. 

In  addition  to  these  methods  of  sheltering  and  subsist- 
ing visitors,  camping  by  individual  parties  is  resorted  to 
extensively. 

Over  the  roads  above  described  the  tourist  is  carried 
from  point  to  point  in  coaches.  These  are  usually  drawn 
by  four  horses,  sometimes  by  six,  and  are  supplemented 
by  single  conveyances  for  the  accommodation  of  special 
parties.  The  present  system  is  the  result  of  long  develop- 
ment and  is  as  complete  as  any  in  the  world.  The  average 
speed  of  travel  is  about  six  miles  per  hour,  and  the  longest 
single  drive  between  hotels  is  twenty  miles. 

The  drivers  are  men  of  experience  and  skill,  and  serve 
the  additional  role  of  guide.  They  bear  a  relation  to  the 
visitor  not  imlike  that  of  a  boat  captain  to  his  passengers, 
and  no  small  part  of  the  tourist's  pleasure  is  dependent 
upon  them.  Some  of  these  drivers  have  gro^wai  up  Avith 
the  transportation  business  of  the  Park  from  the  begin- 
ning, and  have  acquired  an  enviable  celebrity  in  the  lore 
of  this  region. 

The  course  of  the  tourist  route  is  such  as  to  include  the 
Yellowstone  Lake  for  a  distance  of  about  twenty  miles. 
A  boat  plies  from  the  west  shore,  where  it  meets  the 
coaches  from  the  Upper  Basin,  to  the  hotel  at  the  Lake 
Outlet.  This  voyage  is  one  of  the  most  delightful  features 
of  the  Park  tour. 


Orange  Geyser  and  Pulpit  Tekkace. 


CHAPTEE  XL 

ADMINISTRATION  OF  THE  PARK. 

The  administration  of  the  Park  is  assigned  by  law  to 
the  Secretary  of  the  Interior,  who  delegates  his  authority 
to  a  local  Superintendent.  By  statute,  also,  the  Secretary 
of  the  Interior  is  authorized  to  call  upon  the  Secretary  of 
War  for  such  details  of  troops  as  may  be  necessary  to  pro- 
tect the  Park.  Owing  to  the  failure  of  Congress  to  pro- 
vide for  a  civilian  Su])erintendent  and  police  force,  since 
1886,  the  Secretary  of  the  Interior  has  found  it  necessary 
to  avail  himself  of  this  second  statute,  so  that  the  present 
working  of  the  Park  administration  is  on  this  wise: 

An  army  officer,  commanding  the  troops  of  the  Park,  is 
the  representative  of  the  Secretary  of  the  Interior,  and  is 
called  the  Acting  Superintendent  of  the  Park,  on  the  as- 
sumption that  the  old  regime  of  civilian  Superintendents 
is  only  temporarily  suspended.  The  Superintendent  is 
charged  with  the  enforcement  of  the  rules  and  regulations 
provided  for  the  government  of  the  Park.  As  to  all  such 
matters,  he  receives  his  instructions  direct  from  the  Sec- 
retary of  the  Interior,  and  he  annually  submits  to  that 
official  a  report  upon  the  condition  of  the  Park. 

The  specific  duties  which  form  the  burden  of  the  Super- 
intendent's work  are  as  follows : 

(1)  The  supervision  of  all  privileges  granted  to  private 
parties  by  the  Secretary  of  the  Interior  for  the  conduct 
of  business  upon  the  reser^'ation. 

(2)  The  protection  of  the  Park  from  vandalism.  The 
pardonable  desire  to  carry  off  specimens  of  the  beautiful 


270  TITE    YELLOWSTONE    NATIONAL    PARK. 

formations,  and  the  morbid  craze,  peculiar  to  certain 
minds,  to  cover  tliem  with  individual  names,  would,  if  -un- 
restrained, soon  destroy  what  nature,  through  long  ages, 
has  so  laborious^  built  up. 

(3)  The  protection  of  game.  This  has  now  become  one 
of  the  most  important  duties  of  the  Superintendent,  be- 
cause of  the  high  place  which  the  Park  is  destined  to  hold 
as  a  preserve  for  the  native  fauna  of  the  continent. 

(4)  The  presers^ation  of  the  forests. 

To  assist  him  in  his  work  of  patrolling  the  reservation, 
the  Superint^ident  relies  primarily  upon  a  force  of  cav- 
alry troops.  It  is  probable  than  an  entire  squadron  will 
be  required  hereafter,  and  the  necessary  garrison  buildings 
for  a  force  of  this  size  are  being  provided  at  Fort  Yellow- 
stone. A  portion  of  this  force  will  be  constantly  out  in 
the  Park,  where  commodious  and  comfortable  quarters  are 
provided  for  squads  of  about  ten  soldiers  each.  There  are 
ten  of  these  sub-stations  in  all,  and  they  are  occupied 
throughout  the  entire  year.  Nearly  all  of  them  are  con- 
nected with  Fort  Yellowstone  by  telephone.  The  duties 
of  these  detachments  are  to  protect  the  formations,  forests 
and  game,  to  assist  visitors  with  information  and  guid- 
ance, and  to  report  all  irregularities  that  fall  under  their 
observation.  The  entire  circuit  of  the  roads  is  patrolled 
daily  and  a  strict  surveillance  is  maintained  over  all  the 
interests  of  the  Park. 

The  frequent  changes  of  troops  to  meet  the  necessities 
of  the  service  in  other  parts  of  the  country  prevent  that 
close  acquaintance  with  the  Park  which  is  essential  to  its 
thorough  police.  To  offset  as  far  as  possible  this  unavoid- 
able drawback,  the  Superintendent  is  allowed  a  small  force 
of  civilian  scouts  who  remain  on  the  work  from  year  to 


ADMINISTRATION  OF  THE  PARK.  271 

year.  One  of  these  scouts  is  paid  from  the  appropriation 
for  the  army  and  the  others  from  the  regular  approj)ria- 
tion  for  the  l*ark.  They  are  necessarily  men  of  much  re- 
source, inured  to  hardship  and  fatigue,  and  possessed  of 
tact  and  judgment  to  discharge  properly  the  often  deli- 
cate duties  which  are  thrust  upon  them. 

The  Superintendent  is  allowed  a  civilian  clerk  to  assist 
him  in  the  work  of  his  office  at  Mammoth  Hot  Springs. 

Many  reasons  combine  to  make  the  position  of  Superin- 
tendent of  the  Yellowstone  Park  a  very  popular  one  among 
army  officers,  and  it  is  probably  more  sought  after  than 
any  other  position  outside  of  the  regular  line  of  their  pro- 
fession. 

Besides  the  Superintendent,  who  is  the  executive  officer 
of  the  Park,  there  is  si  judicial  officer  in  the  character  of 
United  States  Commissioner.  This  office  was  created  by 
the  National  Park  Protective  Act  of  1891,  which  directed 
that  the  United  States  Circuit  Court  in  the  District  of 
Wyoming  should  appoint  a  Commissioner  to  reside  per- 
manently in  the  Park.  The  same  statute  appropriated 
funds  for  the  erection  of  a  jail  and  courtroom  at  Mam- 
moth Hot  Springs.  For  the  service  of  legal  process  the 
United  States  ^Farshal  for  the  District  of  A\'yoming  is  au- 
thorized to  appoint  one  or  more  deputies  to  reside  in  the 
Park. 

The  Commissioner  has  jurisdiction  to  try  all  offenses 
against  the  Park  statutes  and  regulations,  and  he  is  author- 
ized to  arrest  and  bind  over  to  the  proper  court  any  per- 
son committing  a  felony  within  the  Park.  Offenses  not  pro- 
hibited by  the  Park  statutes  or  regulations  are  subject  to 
the  same  punishment  as  the  laws  of  AVyoming  provide  in 
such  cases.     The   courts   of   the   three    States,  Wyoming, 


272  THE    YELLOWSTONE    NATIONAL    PARK. 

Montana^,  and  Idaho,  are  authorized  to  serve  civil  and 
criminal  process  in  those  parts  of  the  Park  that  lie  within 
their  respective  territories. 

The  administrative  and  judicial  machinery  of  the  Park 
is  now  admirably  adapted  to  its  purpose,  and  there  is  no 
sufficient  reason  why  the  protection  of  all  its  interests 
should  not  be  thoroughly  efficient. 


CHAPTER  XIT. 

A   TOUR  OF  THE  PARK. 

PreUminarij. 

From  what  has  been  thus  far  set  forth  the  reader  can 
not  have  failed  to  observe  how  fortunate  have  been  the 
events,  in  both  prehistoric  and  recent  times,  which  have 
made  the  Yellowstone  Park  what  it  is  to-daj.  In  the 
course  of  long  ages  Nature  developed  this  region  into  its 
present  attractive  form  and  filled  it  with  wonders  which 
will  always  command  the  admiration  of  men.  She  placed 
it  at  the  very  apex  of  the  continent,  whence  it  sends  forth 
in  every  direction  perennial  supplies  of  water  to  the  thirst^' 
desert  around  it.  She  overspread  it  with  sheltering  forests 
aiid  grass-covered  j^arks  and  valleys,  where  the  native 
fauna,  elsewhere  fast  passing  away,  nuiy  find  a  secure 
rc^fuge  in  all  future  time.  With  infinite  foresight  she 
made  it  unfit  for  the  gainful  occupations  of  men,  so  that 
every  motive  to  appropriate  it  for  private  use  is  removed. 
For  many  years  after  the  white  man  first  looked  within 
its  borders,  a  rare  combination  of  circumstances  prevailed 
to  keep  it  from  becoming  generally  known  until  the  time 
had  arrived  when  the  government  could  effectually  reserve 
it  from  settlement.  Finally,  since  its  formal  erection  into 
a  public  park,  the  same  good  fortune  has  attended  it,  in 
spite  of  many  adverse  influences,  until  it  has  become  thor- 
oughly intrenched  in  the  good  opinion  of  the  people. 

Tt  is  undoubtedly  true  that  in  dedicating  this  tract  of 
country  to  "the  benefit  and  enjoyment  of  the  people,"  the 


274  THE    YELLOWSTOXE    XMTIOXxVL    PAHK. 

founders  of  the  Yellowstone  Park  were  wiser  than  they 
knew.  Very  prohably  the  word  "benefit/'  as  we  may  now 
interjDret  it,  had  little  weight  with  them,  and  was  put  in 
as  a  fuller  justification  of  what  was  then  an  unprecedented 
measure.  Most  likely  they  saw  no  benefit  in  the  new  Park 
except  that  which  flows  from  all  true  enjoyment;  and  it- 
was  after  all  the  pleasure  that  comes  from  beholding  the 
wonders  of  nature  that  influenced  their  action. 

In  a  large  degree  the  same  consideration  prevails  to-day. 
The  people  go  to  the  Park  to  see  its  "wonders/'  and  in 
their  hurried  visits  this  is  about  all  they  can  attend  to. 
Whatever  interest  they  may  feel  in  the  history  and  phys- 
iogTa])hy  of  this  region,  it  is  still  the  natural  phenomena 
of  which  they  have  heard  so  much  that  receive  their  prin- 
cipal attention.  It  is  therefore  incumbent,  in  a  work 
like  the  present,  to  consult  the  convenience  of  the  visitor 
in  this  respect;  and  no  better  method  suggests,  itself  than 
to  accompany  him  on  a  tour  of  the  Park,  explainin^g  its 
features  of  interest  as  they  fall  under  his  observation. 

In  the  following  description  there  will  be  mentioned  in 
succinct  outline  all  the  notalfle  objects  of  interest  in  the 
Park.  The  necessary  limit  of  space  forbids  anytliing  like 
extended  description,  even  if  the  inherent  dilficulties  of 
such  a  task  would  permit.  Captain  Ludlow  has  well  stated 
the  nature  of  these  difficulties : 

"The  Park  scenery,  as  a  whole,''  he  says,  "is  too  grand, 
its  scope  too  immense,  its  details  too  varied  and  minute, 
to  admit  of  adequate  description,  save  by  some  gi-eat 
writer,  who,  y^ith  mind  and  pen  equally  trained,  can  seize 
upon  the  salient  points,  and,  with  just  discrimination, 
throw  into  proper  relief  the  varied  features  of  mingled 
grandeur,  wonder,  and  beauty/' 


A  TOUR  OF  THE  PARK.  275 

Of  the  many  who  liave  attempted^  with  pen  or  i)encil,  to 
reproduce  the  wonders  of  the  Yellowstone,  no  one  has  yet 
completely  satisfied  these  important  requirements.  Tlie 
writer,  for  his  part,  will  modestly  decline  any  such  under- 
taking, and,  like  that  pioneer  explorer,  Folsoni,  will  con- 
iine  his  descriptions  "to  the  bare  facts."  He  will,  however, 
occasionally  call  to  aid  those  who  have  seen  and  written 
of  these  wonders.  To  the  early  explorers,  in  particular, 
who  entered  this  region  before  it  became  generally  known, 
its  strange  phenomena  appealed  with  an  imaginative  force 
wdiicli  the  guide-book  tourist  of  to-day  can  hardly  realize. 
Tliis  may  account  for  the  fact  that  some  of  these  exj^lorers, 
who  have  never,  before  or  since,  put  pen  to  paper  with  any 
literary  purpose  in  view,  have  left  in  their  narratives 
strokes  of  word  painting  which  the  most  gifted  ^^Tite^ 
would  find  it  difficult  to  excel. 

The  best  season  for  the  tour  is  in  the  early  days  of  July. 
The  rain  and  snow  and  chilly  air,  not  uncommon  in  June, 
are  gone.  The  drought  and  smoke  of  August  and  Sep- 
t'em])er  are  still  remote.  Only  mosquitos,  so  amazingly 
plentiful  at  certain  seasons  (Langford  found  them  on 
the  very  summit  of  the  Grand  Teton),  are  a  drawback 
worth  considering.  It  is  late  enough,  however,  to  call 
forth  in  their  richest  glory  the  magnificent  profusion  of 
flowers  which  everywhere  abound  in  the  Park.  The  air  is 
at  its  l)est,  full  of  life  and  energy,  and  clear — so  clear 
that  it  confounds  distances  and  gives  to  objects,  though 
far  away,  a  distinctness  quite  unknown  in  lower  altitudes. 
Tlie  skies,  as  they  appear  at  this  season,  surpass  the 
sunny  skies  of  Italy,  and  the  tourist  will  find  in  their 
empyreal  depths  a  beauty  and  fascination  forever  lacking 
in'  the  dingy  air  of  civilization.     In  short,  the  open  air 


276  THE   YELLOWSTONE   NATIONAL   PARK, 

coach  rides  through  this  rich  mountain  atmosphere  fornl 
one  of  the  most  attractive  and  invigorating  features  of  the 
tour. 

The  general  course  of  the  tour,  as  it  will  prohably 
always  be  followed  by  the  vast  majority  of  visitors,  is  from 
Mammoth  Hot  Springs  to  Xorris  Geyser  Basin,  the  Pire- 
hole  Geyser  Basins,  the  Yellowstone  Lake,  the  Grand 
Canon,  Mt.  Washburn  and  the  country  near  Tower  Falls. 


CHAPTER  XIII. 

A   TOUIl  OF   THE  PAKK. 

North  Boundary  to  Mammoth  Hot  Springs. 

Distance  five  miles.  The  road  for  most  of  the  way  lies 
in  the  valley  of  the  Gardiner.  The  principal  points  of 
interest  en  route  are: 

Xorthern  Entrance  to  the  Park. — The  Xorthern  Pacific 
Eailroad  touches  the  Reservation  at  this  point,  where  a 
well-designed  and  appropriate  station  has  been  erected. 
Just  across  the  boundary  the  government  has  built  a 
dignified  and  substantial  gateway.  The  space  between  the 
station  and  gate,  enclosed  by  a  loop  in  the  road  leading  to 
and  from  the  platform,  has  been  converted  into  a  minia- 
ture park. 

The  Junction  of  the  Gardiner  and  Yellowstone  Eivcrs 
determines  the  north  boundary  of  the  Park. 

The  two  prominent  peaks  which  are  in  full  view  on  the 
right  as  the  tourist  enters  the  Park  are  Electric  Peak  and 
Sepulcher  Mountain.  The  feature  which  gave  the  latter 
its  name  is  very  apparent  from  this  point. 

Soon  after  crossing  the  boundary  the  road  enters  the 
Gardiner  CaFion,  which  it  follows  for  two  miles.  Portions 
of  this  valley  are  exceedingly  picturesque.  The  cliffs  on 
the  east  shore  are  bold  and  precipitous,  but  of  a  loose 
texture  which  suggests  constant  danger  from  falling  rocks. 
The  nests  of  ospreys  here  and  there  crown  detached  pin- 
nacles. The  chief  beauty  of  the  Canon  is  in  the  stream 
itself,  a  typical,  foaming,  mountain  torrent,  of  such  rapid 
fall  that,  in  its  higher  stages,  it  is  a  continuous  mass  of 


278  THE    YELLOAYSTONE    NATIONAL    PARK. 

snow-wliite  foam.  Dwarf  cedar^  cottomvood,  Tvillow,  and 
the  wild  rose  line  its  banks  and  give  an  added  charm  to  its 
beauty.  The  tourist  road  crosses  the  river  on  steel  bridges 
four  times  in  the  space  of  about  a  mile. 

The  Boiling  Elver  (3 J  miles). — This  feature,  which 
can  be  seen  from  the  hillside  after  the  last  crossing  of  the 
Gardiner,  is  an  immense  stream  of  hot  water  issuing  from 
an  opening  in  the  rocks,  and  discharging  directly  into  the 
river.  It  is  formed  of  the  collected  waters  of  Mammoth 
Hot  Springs,  which  find  their  way  to  this  point  through 
subterranean  channels. 

A  winding  road,  which  rises  600  feet  in  the  distance  of 
a  mile  and  a  half,  carries  the  tourist  from  the  valley  of 
the  Gardiner  to  the  first  of  the  great  characteristic  features 
of  the  Park,  the  world-renowned 

Mammoth  Hot  Springs  and  to  the  administrative  and 
business  headquarters  of  the  Park.  This  is  the  only  point 
in  the  Park  where  an  extensive  transformation  of  natural 
conditions  by  the  work  of  man  has  been  permitted.  Yet 
it  was  unavoidable  here,  and  in  jielding  to  this  necessity, 
the  efl'ort  has  been  made  to  provide  a  substitute  that  would 
be  in  harmony  with  the  natural  surroundings,  and  would 
be  in  itself  a  feature  of  interest.  The  grounds  on  which 
the  various  buildings  stand  have  been  carefully  graded, 
provided  with  a  thorough  system  of  irrigation  by  which 
the  old  lime  dust  is  converted  into  lawn,  laid  out  with 
convenient  roads  and  walks,  and  ornamented  with  shade 
trees  and  shrubbery.  The  entire  group  of  buildings  is  pro- 
vided with  an  ample  water  suj)ply  from  a  neighboring 
mountain  stream,  and  both  buildings  and  grounds  are 
lighted  with,  electricity  from  a  plant  located  in  rear  of 
Capitol  Hill,  and  operated  b}^  water  from  the  same  source 
as  the  domestic  supply.    The  principal  buildings  are  those 


A  TOUR  OF  THE  PARK.  279 

pertaining  to  the  garrison  of  Fort  Yellowstone,  the  office 
for  the  government  work  in  the  Park,  the  Weather  Bureau 
Building,  the  ^Mammoth  Hot  Springs  Hotel,  and  the  office 
of  the  United  States  Commissioner. 

First  in  importance,  among  the  many  natural  features 
of  interest  accessible  from  this  locality,  are  the  Hot 
Springs  Terraces.  There  have  been  built  one  upon  an- 
other until  the  present  active  portion  constitutes  a  hill 
rising  300  feet  above  the  site  of  the  Mammoth  Hot 
Springs  Hotel.  The  formation  about  these  springs,  it 
will  be  remembered,  is  calcareous,  and  to  this  fact  is  due 
its  distinctive  character,  so  different  from  the  silica,  for- 
mations which  prevail  nearly  everywhere  else  in  the  Park. 
The  overhanging  bowls  which  these  deposits  build  up  are 
among  the  finest  specimens  of  Xature's  work  in  the  world, 
while  the  water  which  fills  them  is  of  that  peculiar  beauty 
to  be  found  only  in  thermal  springs.  Speaking  of  this 
feature  Dr.  Hayden  says : 

"The  wonderful  transparency  of  the  water  surpasses  any 
thing  of  the  kind  I  have  ever  seen  in  any  other  portion  of 
the  world.  The  sk}^  with  the  smallest  cloud  that  flits 
across  it,  is  reflected  in  its  clear  depths,  and  the  ultra- 
marine colors,  more  vivid  than  the  sea,  are  greatly  heiglit- 
ened  by  constant,  gentle  vibrations.  One  can  look  do\vii 
into  the  clear  depths  and  see,  mth  perfect  distinctness,  the 
minutest  ornament  on  the  inner  sides  of  the  basins;  and 
the  exquisite  beauty  of  the  coloring  and  the  variety  of 
forms  bailie  any  attempt  to  j^ortray  them  either  with  pen 
or  pencil.^' 

Cleopatra  Spring^  Jupiter  Terrace,  Pulpit  Terrace, 
the  Narrow  Gauge  Terrace — an  incongruous  name  for  a 
long  fissure  spring — the  ^^llite  Elephant,  another  fissure 
spring,  and  the  Orange  Geyser,  a  very  pretty  formation. 


280  T]IE   YELLOWSTONE   NATIONAL   PARK. 

dome-sliaped,  with  a  pulsating  spring  in  the  top,  are 
among  the  most  interesting  of  tlie  active  springs. 

Liberty  Cap  is  the  cone  of  an  extinct  spring  and  stands 
thirty-eight  feet  high.  Its  base  is  elliptical-shaped,  and  the 
long  and  short  diameters  are  24  and  IS  feet,  respectively. 

Baili  Lake  is  a  warm  pool  of  considerable  size,  much 
used  for  batliing. 

Scattered  over  the  formation  in  every  direction  are 
caves,  springs,  steam-vents,  peculiar  deposits,  and  curios- 
ities without  number  to  attract  and  detain  the  visitor. 
Many  of  them,  like  Cupid's  Cave,  the  Devil's  Kitclien,  and 
McCartney's  Cave,  are  of  much  interest.  In  the  last- 
mentioned  cave,  or,  more  properly,  crater,  an  elk  fell  one 
winter  when  the  crater  was  level  full  with  light  snow.  His 
antlers  caught  between  the  sides  of  the  crater,  holding  him 
in  a  suspended  position  until  he  perished.  He  was  found 
the  following  sj^ring  by  Mr.  McCartney.  In  many  of  the 
caves  there  is  an  accumulation  of  carbonic  acid  gas  in  suffi- 
cient quantities  to  destroy  animal  life.  The  chief  sufferers 
are  the  birds,  whicli  are  killed  b}^  it  in  great  numbers.  Tlie 
Stygian  Cave  at  the  extreme  upper  end  of  the  active  ter- 
races is  the  most  noted  in  this  respect. 

Besides  the  "formation,"  as  the  terraces  are  collectively 
termed,  there  are  many  other  features  of  interest  within 
an  easy  ride  or  drive. 

Lookout  (or  Capitol)  Hill  is  a  prominent  rounded 
elevation  opposite  the  hotel.  Upon  its  summit  is  a  block- 
house, built  by  Colonel  Norris,  in  18T9,  as  a  headquarters 
building  for  the  Superintendent.  The  awkward  and 
inconvenient  location  was  selected  for  its  defensive  quali- 
ties. It  will  be  remembered  that  the  two  previous  years, 
1877  and  1878,  had  witnessed  the  Nez  Perce  and  Bannock 
incursions  into  the  Park. 


A  TOUR  OF  THE  PARK.  281 

Around  Bunsen  Peak  (12  miles).  This  is  one  of  the 
most  picturesque  and  beautiful  drives  in  the  Park.  Leav- 
ing Mammoth  Hot  Springs  the  road  leads  first  to  the  Glen 
Creek  crossing,  directly  at  the  foot  of  Bunsen  Peak,  and 
then  climbs  the  mountain  side  by  a  rather  steep  grade, 
wdth  many  windings  that  develop  the  scenery  to  advantage. 
Some  of  the  views  from  this  grade  are  particularly  fine. 
After  reaching  the  top  of  the  hill  a  short  drive  brings  the 
visitor  to  the 

Middle  Gardmer  Cafion  and  Osprey  Falls.  This  caiion 
ranks  next  to  the  Grand  Caiion  of  the  Yellowstone  as  the 
most  impressive  in  the  Park,  and  Osprey  Falls  is  one  of  the 
largest  cataracts.  The  canon  walls  (the  Sheep-eater  Cliffs 
of  Xorris)*  just  below  the  falls  are  at  least  500  feet  high, 
and  palisades  of  columnar  basalt,  extending  along  both 
sides,  form  a  striking  feature.  The  high  bench  at  the 
brink  of  the  canon  near  the  falls  is  covered  with  a  beauti- 
ful evergreen  forest  open  enough  to  permit  the  gro\vth  of 
grass,  and  forms  a  delightful  resort  for  pleasure  parties. 

From  the  falls  the  road  extends  like  a  rural  lane  throu.di 
groves  of  evergreen,  and  quaking  aspen  to  the  country 
south  of  Bunsen  Peak,  affording  another  fine  view  of  llu 
Gardiner  Canon,  and  opening  out  at  length  upon  one  of 
the  genuinely  beautiful  mountain  scenes  of  the  Park. 
This  is  the  Gallatin  Range,  as  seen  across  the  open  country 
of  Stvan  Lalce  Flat  The  range  is  one  of  great  promi- 
nence, and  its  higher  peaks  glisten  ^Yit\l  the  snow  that 
accumulates  on  their  northern  slopes  in  great  depths  every 
winter.  Among  the  more  noticeable  peaks  are  Mt. 
Holmes,  the  Quadrant,  Three  Rivers,  Trilohite  and  Hunt- 
ley. Farther  to  the  north  Electric  Peak  stands  out  in 
perfect  outline,  the  highest  mountain  in  the  Park,  and  one 

*  See  page  133. 
(  12*  ) 


282  THE    YELLOWSTOXE    NATIOJs^AL    PARK. 

which  the  visitor  will  see  from  at  least  three  other  points 
in  his  tour.  Sepulcher  Mountain,  with  its  broad  grassy 
southern  slope,  seems  very  near;  and  Terrace  Mountain 
closes  in  the  gap  between  Sepulcher  and  Bunsen.  The 
latter  mountain  stands  out  almost  entirely  alone,  very 
regular  in  outline,  and  an  easy  mountain  climb  for  one  of 
its  altitude. 

Eounding  the  northern  base  of  Bunsen  Peak  the  road 
comes  into  the  main  tourist  route  just  at  the  head  of 
Golden  Gate  Cannon,  through  which  Glen  Creek  finds  its 
way  between.  Terrace  Mountain  and  Bunsen  Peak.  This 
canon  has  always  been  considered  one  of  the  star  features 
of  the  Park  scenery.  The  view  from  either  end  locking 
through  it  is  fine,  and  the  local  effects  have  been  height- 
ened by  the  construction  of  the  government  road  in  the  side 
of  the  cliff  on.  the  left  bank  of  the  stream.  Among  its 
more  prominent  features  are  Euslic  Falls,  at  the  head  of 
the  canon,  and  the  concrete  Viaduct  at  the  lower  end,  the 
only  structure  of  its  kind  in  the  world. 

Descending  the  long  hill  on  the  return  to  Mammoth 
Hot  Springs,  the  road  leads  through  a  very  singular  form- 
ation of  Travertine  Eocls,  absurdly  labeled  in  local  nomen- 
clature, the  "Koodoos.^''  These  rocks  are  a  limestone 
formation  of  very  weak  texture  and  are  scattered  around 
in  enormous  boulders,  some  of  them  a  hundred  feet 
through,  and  all  lying  in  the  most  indiscriminate  confu- 
sion. The  lines  of  stratification  show  how  these  rocks  have 
been  tipped  from  their  original  horizontal  position,  but 
the  disturbing  cause  has  affected  no  two  alike.  It  would 
seem  that  the  original  crust  of  which  they  were  a  part 
became  undermined,  and  that  their  present  chaotic  condi- 
tion is  the  result  of  its  breaking  up  and  caving  in. 

x^nother  interesting  drive  from  Mammoth  Hot  Springs 


A  TOUR  OF  THE  PARK.  283 

is  that  through  the  East  Gardiner  Canon  to  the  very  pretty 
cascade,  Undine  Falls,  at  its  head.  Here,  too,  the  road, 
winding  along  the  mountain  in  difficult  and  dangerous  situ- 
ations, is  an  important  aid  in  developing  the  scenery. 

It  is  through  this  canon  that  access  can  most  easily  be 
had  to  the  summit  of  Mt.  Everts,  whose  bold  escarpments 
rise  in  impressive  grandeur  directly  across  the  valley  from 
the  road.  The  many  vantage  points  along  the  crest  of 
these  cliffs  afford  some  of  the  finest  panoramic  views  in 
the  Park. 


CHAPTER  XIV. 

A  TOUR  OF  THE  PARK, 

Mammoth  Hot  Springs  to  Norris  Geyser  Basin. 

Distance,  twenty  miles.  The  first  object  of  interest 
besides  those  already  described  after  ascending  the  long  hill 
above  the  Springs  (four  miles),  is 

Swan  Lahe  (5  miles),  a  little  pond  on  the  right  of  the 
road. 

The  large  ditch  that  parallels  the  road  after  crossing 
the  outlet  of  the  lake  conveys  water  from  the  Gardiner 
Eiver  for  the  supply  at  Mammoth  Hot  Springs. 

Willow  Park  (8  miles)  comprises  the  valley  of  the  lower 
course  of  Obsidian  Creek.  It  is  a  dense  growth  of  wil- 
lows, and  forms  an  attractive  sight,  either  in  the  fresh 
foliage  of  spring  or  in  its  autumnal  coloring. 

Apollinaris  Spring  (10  miles)  is  on  the  left  of  the  road- 
way, in  a  pine  forest.  Tourists  generally  stop  and  try  its 
water. 

Obsidian  Cliff  (12  miles)  is  composed  of  a  kind  of  vol- 
canic glass,  black  as  anthracite,  which  abounds  at  this 
point  in  enormous  masses.  The  Indians  once  quarried 
implements  of  war  and  the  chase  here,  and  many  fine 
arrowheads  have  been  picked  up  by  explorers.  The  build- 
ing of  the  first  road  along  the  base  of  this  cliff  has  some 
historic  celebrity,  owing  to  the  novel  method  adopted  in 
clearing  away  the  rock.  Colonel  Norris,  the  builder,  broke 
the  glassy  material  into  fragments  by  heating  it  with  fires 
and  then  dashing  cold  water  upon  it. 

Beaver  Lalce   (12.5  miles)   has  its  outlet  opposite  the 


A  TOUR  OF  THE  PAR^.  285 

base  of  Obsidian  Cliff.  It  is  formed  by  ancient  beaver 
dams,  now  overgrown  with  vegetation.  The  old  dam 
extends  in  a  sinuous  line  entirely  across  the  valley,  and, 
although  apparently  less  than  a  yard  thick,  is  quite 
impervious  to  water.  The  lake  is  a  great  resort  for  water 
fowl  later  in  the  year. 

Ii oaring  Mountain  (15.5  miles)  is  a  high  hill  on  the  left 
of  the  road,  with  a  powerful  steam  vent  near  the  summit. 
For  many  years  prior  to  1902  the  sound  which  gave  rise 
to  the  name  had  almost  disappeared.  But  in  that  year 
there  was  a  wonderful  development  of  thermal  activity  and 
the  sound  increased  to  such  an  extent  that  it  could  be 
heard  at  the  distance  of  a  mile.  The  increased  heat  killed 
the  trees  on  the  mountain  side  over  the  space  of  half  a 
mile  square. 

Ticin  Lakes  (16  miles)  are  two  exquisitely  beautiful 
ponds,  if  only  seen  in  a  good  sunlight  and  with  a  tranquil 
surface.  The  peculiar  green  of  the  water  is  perhaps  to  be 
seen  nowhere  except  in  the  National  Park.  It  resembles 
the  coloring  of  the  water  in  such  quiescent  springs  as  the 
Morning  Glory,  but  it  is  not  here  due  to  hot  water;  for 
ice  forms  on  these  lakes  in  cold  weather  as  quickly  as 
upon  any  other  waters  of  the  Park. 

The  Frying  Pan  (17.75  miles)  is  a  small  basin  of  gey- 
serite,  on  the  right  of  the  road,  vigorously  stewing  away  in 
a  manner  which  reminds  one  of  a  kitchen  spider  in  opera- 
tion. 

After  passing  Obsidian  Cliff  evidences  of  hot  spring 
action  constantly  increase,  until  they  reach  their  climax 
in  the  Norris  Geyser  Basin.  There  are  but  few  other 
places  in  the  Park  where  the  odor  of  sulphur  is  so  general 
and  offensive  as  on  this  portion  of  the  tourist  route, 

Norris  Geyser  Basin  is  clearly  among  the  more  recent 


286  THE    YELLOWSTONE    NATIONAL    PARK. 

volcanic  developments  of  this  region.  Its  rapid  encroach- 
ment upon  the  forest  growth,  and  the  frequent  appear- 
ance of  new  springs  and  the  disappearance  of  others, 
indicate  its  relatively  recent  origin.  Compared  with  the 
Firehole  Geyser  Basins  it  is  of  minor  importance,  so  far 
as  the  magnitude  of  its  phenomena  are  concerned;  but 
coming  first  to  the  notice  of  the  tourist  it  receives  a  large 
amount  of  attention.  Its  activity  is  evidently  on  the 
increase,  but  it  shows  less  stability  than  the  older  geyser 
basins,  and  its  principal  features  are  undergoing  constant 
change.  For  example,  its  only  prominent  geyser,  the 
Monarch,  became  inactive  in  1902,  but  whether  perma- 
nently so  is  wholly  uncertain.  The  wonderful  steam  vents 
known  as  the  Growler  and  Hurricane  have  yielded  their 
etrenigth  to  a  new  vent,  which  holds  the  record  for  power 
over  them  both  and  rivals  the  one  which  has  given  Roaring 
Mountain  its  name.  The  mist  that  comes  from  these  steam 
vents  has  killed  the  trees  for  a  long  distance  around,  and 
keeps  the  road  constantly  muddy  in  their  vicinity. 

The  Constant  and  Minute-Man,  small  geysers,  make  up 
in  frequency  of  action  what  they  lack  in  power. 

The  road  passes  through  the  midst  of  this  basin,  in  close 
proximity  to  some  of  the  boiling  springs,  and  does  not  get 
clear  of  the  hot  ground  until  it  enters  Elh  Parle,  a  mile 
and  a  half  beyond  Norris.  There  is  a  great  profusion  of 
names  for  these  various  features — such  as  Congress, 
Arsenic,  Pearl,  Neiv  Crater,  Emerald  Pool,  Locomotive, 
etc.,  but  their  location  and  identity  can  be  determined 
satisfactorily  only  by  the  aid  of  the  sign-boards  or  a 
guide. 

From  the  Norris  Hotel  a  drive  of  three  miles  up  the 
Gibbon  River,  on  the  cross-  road  leading  to  the  Grand 
Caiion,  carries  the  tourist  to  Virginia  Cascade,  a  pictur- 


A   TOUR  OF  THE  PARK.  287 

osqiic  waterfall  in  a  rocky  canon  of  considerable  beauty. 
This  cascade  is  not  a  cataract,  but  a  rocky  slide  on  which 
the  water  glides  down  some  sixty  feet  over  the  slippery 
surface  of  the  rock.  In  fact,  this  characteristic  prevails 
on  the  Gibbon  Eiver  as  far  do^Ti  as  the  head  of  the  canon, 
four  miles  below  Norris,  and  the  river  slips  over  a  smooth 
rocky  floor  a  considerable  part  of  the  distance. 

Xear  the  Virginia  Cascade  is  quite  a  noted  feature  on 
the  old  road  called  the  Devil's  Elbow,  an  extremely  sharp 
turn  of  nearly  180  degrees  around  a  jutting  point  of  rock. 
It  was  a  constant  menace  to  travel.  In  1902  this  old  road 
was  replaced  by  a  new  one  cut  in  the  rock  of  the  cliff  above, 
where  it  now  forms  one  of  the  attractions  between  Norris 
and  the  Caiion. 

Another  feature  on  this  road  which  may  properly  be 
noted  here,  is  the  Wedded  Trees,  as  they  have  been  named. 
They  are  near  the  sixth  mile-post  from  Norris.  Two  tall 
slender  pines  are  permanently  united  by  a  limb  growing 
between  them.  This  singular  phenomena  has  been  met 
with  in  several  other  places  in  the  Park. 

Near  the  eighth  mile  i:>ost,  where  an  old  freight  road 
branches  off  to  the  Canon  Hotel,  is  the  site  of  tlici  famous 
"hold-up"  of  1897.  At  this  point  a  few  masked  highway- 
men stopped  all  the  regular  coaches  of  the  day,  including  a 
government  conveyance  with  an  army  officer  and  his  family. 
Xo  bodily  injury  was  done  anyone,  but  the  pockets  of  the 
entire  party  were  successfully  emptied  of  all  valuables.  The 
exploit  was  a  very  clever  piece  of  work^  and  its  authors 
made  good  their  escape. 


CHAPTER  XV. 

A  TOUR  OF  THE  PARK. 

N orris  Geyser  Basin  to  Lower  Geyser  Basin. 

Distance,  20  miles.  The  road  follows  the  Gibbon  River 
to  within  four  miles  of  its  mouth,  then  crosses  a  point  of 
land  to  the  Firehole,  and  ascends  the  right  bank  of  the 
latter  stream  to  the  Lower  Basin. 

Gihhon  Meadows  (3.5  miles)  is  a  broad  open  bottom, 
just  at  the  head  of  Gibbon  Canon. 

The  GMon  Paint  Pots  (4  miles)  are  on  the  left  of  the 
road,  near  the  head  of  the  canon,  and  one-fourth  of  a  mile 
away. 

Monument  Geyser  Basin  (4.5  miles),  is  on  the  high  hill 
just  west  of  the  upper  end  of  Gibbon  Canon.  It  is  an 
interesting  spot,  but  rarely  visited  owing  to  its  inaccessi- 
bility.   It  was  discovered  and  named  by  Colonel  Xorris. 

The  Gibhon  CaTion  (4  to  10.5  miles)  affords  the  tourist 
one  of  the  pleasantest  rides  in  the  Park.  The  mountains 
rise  boldly  from  the  river  on  either  side,  and  present  sev- 
eral particularly  fine  views.  The  road  lies  close  to  the 
river's  edge,  and  the  stream  is  an  important  adjunct  to  the 
scenery. 

Beryl  Spring  (5  miles)  is  close  to  the  road  on  the  side 
opposite  the  river.  It  boils  violently  and  discharges  a  large 
amount  of  water.  The  steam  from  it  frequently  obscures 
the  roadway. 

The  Soda  and  Iron  Spring  (8  miles),  like  Apollinaris 
Spring  already  mentioned,  is  a  frequent  stopping  place  for 
tourists. 


A  TOUR  OF  THE  PARK.  289 

GMon  Falls  (8.5  mik's)  is  a  waterfall  of  very  irregular 
outline,  but  witlial  one  of  much  beauty.  The  road  hanga 
on  the  side  of  the  cliff  far  above  it,  and  affords  a  lovely 
view  of  the  forest-covered  valley  below. 

The  Western  Approach  (10  miles).  At  a  point  where 
the  main  road  leaves  the  valley  of  the  Gibbon  Eiver  to 
cross  over  to  the  Firehole  River,  the  Giljbon  Branch  of  the 
Western  Approach  comes  in.  There  are  no  features  of 
particular  interest  on  this  road  beyond  the  general  beauty 
of  the  scenery,  except  an  ^^aix)llinaris''  spring  just  below 
the  Gibbon  Bridge,  and  a  very  large  boiling  spring  about  a 
mile  above  the  junction  of  Gibbon  and  Firehole  Elvers. 

Eeturning  to  the  main  route,  a  drive  of  five  miles  from 
the  Gibbon  Eiver,  brings  the  traveler  to  the  Firehole  Eiver 
(14.5  miles)  at  the  site  of  a  very  pretty  cascade.  At  this 
point  the  Fireliole  Branch  of  the  AVestem  Approach  comes 
in.  The  road  ascends  the  right  or  east  bank  of  the  river 
for  the  next  three  miles.  There  are  several  attractive 
river  scenes  on  this  stretch  of  road. 

Nez  Perce  Creek  (18  miles)  is  the  principal  tributary' 
of  the  Firehole,  and  is  of  historic  interest  from  the  fact 
that  the  route  of  Chief  Joseph  in  1877  was  along  its  valley. 
Howard  s  first  camp  in  the  Park,  Camp  Cowan,  was 
situated  about  half  a  mile  above  the  modern  bridge,  while 
five  or  six  miles  farther  on  are  the  sites  of  the  council  and 
the  attack  described  in  an  earlier  chapter. 

This  stream  forms  the  north  boundary  of  the  Lower 
Geyser  Basin,  and  a  drive  of  two  miles  after  crossing  the 
bridge  lands  the  tourist  at  the  Fountain  Hotel,  near  a 
well-known  geyser  of  the  same  name. 

Tc  attempt  anything  like  a  detailed  description  of  the 
Firehole  Geyser  regions  would  l">e  intolerable  alike  to 
reader  and  author.  Of  the  objects  of  interest,  any  one  of 
•(13) 


290  THE  YELLOWSTONE  NATIONAL  PARK. 

which  in  otlicr  localities  would  attract  marked  attention, 
there  are  several  thousand.  In  the  present  description, 
therefore,  only  the  more  important  features  will  be 
noticed — those  notable  objects  to  see  which  is  an  indis- 
pensable part  of  any  well-ordered  tour  of  the  Park. 

The  Fountain  Geijser  is  a  tjqDical  example  of  the  first 
class  of  geysers  described  in  a  previous  chapter.  Its  prox- 
imity to  the  hotel  (one-fourth  mile)  causes  it  to  be  much 
visited. 

The  Mammoth  Paint  Pots,  a  little  way  east  of  the  Foun- 
tain, are  probably  the  most  prominent  example  of  this 
class  of  phenomena  in  the  Park. 

The  Great  Fountain  Geyser  lies  a  mile  and  a  half  south- 
east of  the  Fountain.  It  is  the  chief  wonder  of  the  Lower 
Basin,  and,  in  some  respects,  the  most  remarkable  geyser 
in  the  Park.  Its  formation  is  quite  unlike  that  of  any 
other.  At  first  sight  the  visitor  is  tempted  to  believe  that 
some  one  has  here  placed  a  vast  pedestal  upon  which  to 
erect  a  monument.  It  is  a  broad,  circular  table  about  two 
feet  high,  composed  entirely  of  hard  silicious  deposit.  In 
its  surface  are  numerous  pools  molded  and  ornamented  in 
a  manner  quite  unapproachable,  at  least  on  so  large  a 
scale,  in  any  other  part  of  the  Park.  In  the  center  of  the 
pedestal,  where  the  monument  ought  to  stand,  is  a  large 
irregular  pool  of  great  depth,  full  of  hot  water,  forming,  to 
all  appearances,  a  lovely  quiescent  spring.  At  times  of 
eruption,  the  contents  of  this  spring  are  hurled  bodily 
upward  to  a  height  sometimes  reaching  100  feet.  The  tor- 
rent of  water  which  follows  the  prodigious  do^vn-pouring 
upon  the  face  of  the  pedestal,  flows  away  in  all  directions 
over  the  white  geyserite  plain.  No  visitor  to  the  Yellow- 
stone can  afford  to  miss  the  Great  Fountain  Geyser. 

Surprise  Pool,  close  to  tlie  Great  Fountain,  is  always 


A  TOUR  OF  THE  PARK.  29] 

ready  to  disclose  the  reason  for  its  name  to  any  one  who 
will  go  to  the  trouble  of  throwing  into  it  a  handful  of  dirt 
or  a  spray  of  evergreen. 

The  Egg^'hdl,  on  the  left  bank  of  a  hot  stream  that 
flows  a  little  south  of  the  Great  Fountain,  is  shaped  like 
an  egg  set  on  end  in  the  ground  with  the  upper  third  of 
the  shell  broken  off.     It  is  an  exquisite  trifle. 

In  a  small  valley,  extending  to  the  northeast  from  the 
Great  Fountain,  are  several  ol)jects  worthy  of  notice.  One 
of  these  is  an  immense  hot  lake,  by  far  the  largest  in  the 
Park.  Steady  Geyser  and  Young  Hopeful,  near  the  head 
of  the  valley,  are  not  remarkable  in  this  land  of  geysers. 

The  principal  attraction  of  the  locality  is  what  has 
come  to  be  called  the  Firehole.  It  is  at  the  extreme  upper 
end  of  the  valley,  difficult  to  find,  and  unsatisfactory  to 
visit  when  the  wind  agitates  the  water  surface.  It  is  a 
large  hot  spring  from  the  bottom  of  which,  to  all  appear- 
ances, a  light  colored  flame  is  constantly  issuing,  only  to 
be  extinguished  in  the  water  before  it  reaches  the  surface. 
At  times  it  has  a  distinct  ruddy  tinge,  and  it  always  flickers 
back  and  forth  like  the  lambent  flame  of  a  torch.  When 
seen  under  favorable  conditions^  the  illusion  is  perfect, 
and  the  beholder  is  sure  that  he  has  at  last  caught  a 
glimpse  of  the  hidden  fires  which  produce  the  weird 
phenemena  of  this  region.  But  it  is  only  illusion. 
Tlirough  a  fissure  in  the  rock  superheated  steam  escapes 
and  divides  the  water  just  as  bubbles  do  on  a  smaller  scale. 
The  reflection  from  the  surface  thus  formed  accounts  for 
the  appearance,  which  is  intensified  by  the  black  back- 
ground formed  by  the  sides  and  bottom  of  the  pool. 

About  half  a  mile  southwest  of  the  Fountain  Geyser, 
as  elsewhere  described,  in  an  open  grove  on  the  banks  of 


292  THE    YELLOWSTONE    NATIONAL    PARK. 

a  little  stream,  is  the  spot  where  the  Xez  Perce  Indians 
captured  the  Cowan  party,  August  24,  1877. 

The  Lower  Geyser  Basin  has  an  area  of  thirty  square 
miles.  Conspicuous  among  its  topographical  features  are 
the  Twin  Buttcs,  two  prominent  peaks  west  of  the  river, 
which  dominate  the  entire  basin. 

There  will  be  included  in  tliis  chapter,  as  more  properly 
belonging  to  it  than  to  the  next,  a  description  of  the  Mid- 
way Geyser  Basin.  Its  principal  interest  lies  in  the 
stupendous  character  of  its  phenomena. 

Excelsior  Geyser,  as  a  dynamic  agent,  has  no  equal  in 
the  Park.  It  is  really  a  water  volcano,  and  its  eruptions 
have  nothing  of  the  characteristic  display  of  a  genuine 
geyser.  Its  crater  is  a  vast  seething  caldron  close  by 
the  brink  of  the  Firehole  Eiver,  into  which,  in  non- 
eruptive  periods  even,  it  pours  4,000  gallons  of  water  per 
minute.  The  shape  of  the  crater  is  irregular.  Its  dimen- 
sions are  about  330  by  200  feet,  and  20  feet  deep.  It  was 
not  kno-^TL  to  be  a  geyser  until  1878,  and  did  not  really 
disclose  its  true  character  until  the  winter  of  1881.  Dur- 
ing the  remainder  of  that  year  and  1882,  it  gave 
continuous  exhibitions  of  its  power.  Its  water  column  was 
more  than  50  feet  in  diameter,  and  occasionally  rose  to  the 
enormous  height  of  250  feet.  At  such  times  it  doubled 
the  volume  of  water  in  the  Firehole  Eiver.  Its  eruptions 
were  frequently  accompanied  by  the  ejection  of  large  rocks. 
A  second  period  of  activity  took  place  in  1888,  since  which 
time  it  has  remained  inactive. 

Prismatic  Lake  is  the  most  perfect  spring  of  its  kind 
in  the  world.  It  rests  on  the  summit  of  a  self-built  mound, 
sloping  very  gently  in  all  directions.  Down  this  slope  the 
overflow  from  the  spring  descends  in  tiny  rivulets,  every- 
where interlaced  with  each  other.     A  map  of  the  mound 


■J^^ 


J%^^^W_ 


Crater  of   Great  Fouxtaix   Geyser. 


A  TOUR  OF  THE  PARK.  293 

resembles  a  spider  web,  with  the  spider  (the  spring)  in 
the  center.  The  pool  is  250  by  300  feet  in  size.  Over  the 
lake  hangs  an  ever-present  cloud  of  steam,  which  itself 
often  bears  a  crimson  tinge,  reflected  from  the  waters 
below.  The  steam  unfortunately  obscures  the  surface  of 
the  lake,  and  one  involuntarily  "washes  for  a  row-boat,  in 
which  to  explore  its  unseen  portions.  AVhercver  \'isible, 
there  is  a  varied  and  wonderful  play  of  colors,  which  fully 
justifies  the  name. 

Turquoise  Spring  is  another  large  pool,  100  feet  in 
diameter,  and  rivals  Prismatic  Lake  in  the  beauty  of  its 
coloring. 

The  Midway  Geyser  Basin  contains  hundreds  of  other 
springs,  some  of  them  very  beautiful,  but  the  Basin  is 
mainly  noted  for  the  three  features  just  described. 


CHAPTER  XAa. 

A   TOUR  OF   THE  PARK. 

Lower  Geyser  Basin  to  Upper  Geyser  Basin. 

Distance,  nine  miles.  Eoad  follows  the  Fireliole  Eiver. 
Midway  Geyser  Basin,  already  described,  is  passed  four 
miles  out.  No  other  object  of  interest  is  met  until  the 
visitor  actually  arrives  at  the  Upper  Basin. 

This  locality  is  probably  the  most  popular  with  the 
tourist  of  any  in  the  Park.  Its  two  rivals,  the  Grand 
Canon  and  the  Yellowstone  Lake,  are  so  unlike  it  as  not  to 
admit  of  ,any  comparison.  It  is  the  home  of  the  genus 
geyser,  as  seen  in  its  highest  development.  There  are  fif- 
teen examples  of  the  first  magnitude  and  scores  of  less 
important  ones.*  The  quiescent  pools  and  springs  are  also 
numerous  and  of  great  beauty. 

The  first  important  feature  en  route  is  the  Biscuit 
Basin,  which  is  reached  by  a  side  road  leading  to  the  west 
bank  of  the  Firehole  Eiver.  It  contains  a  geyser  and 
several  beautiful  springs.  The  most  interesting  are  the 
Jewell  Geyser  and  the  Sapphire  Pool.  Near  this  locality 
is  the  Mystic  Falls,  a  fine  cascade,  on  the  Little  Firehole 
River. 

Artemisia  Geyser  comes  next  to  the  attention  of  the 
tourist.  It  has  been  known  as  a  geyser  only  since  188G. 
It  is  on  the  right  of  the  roadway,  at  a  considerably  lower 
level. 

The  Morning  Glory  is  a  little  further  up  stream.     In 


•  For  list  of  names  of  geysers,  with  heights  of  eruptions,  see 
Page  343. 


A  TOUR  OF  THE  PARK.  295 

this  beautiful  object  the  quiescent  pool  is  at  its  best.  Its 
exquisite  bordering  aud  the  deep  cerulean  hue  of  its 
transparent  waters  make  it,  and  others  like  it,  objects  of 
ceaseless  admiration. 

The  Fan  Geyser  is  close  by  the  Firehole  on  the  cast 
bank,  not  far  above  the  Morning  Glory.  The  Riverside 
is  also  on  the  east  bank  at  the  point  where  the  road  crosses 
the  river.  It  is  an  inconspicuous  object  when  not  in 
eruption,  and  one  would  scarcely  suspect  it  of  being  a 
geyser.  It  spouts  obliquely  across  the  river,  and  not,  like 
most  geysers,  vertically. 

Next  in  order,  after  crossing  the  river  to  the  west  bank, 
is  the  Grotto,  remarkable  for  its  irregular  and  cavernous 
crater.  A  little  further  on,  close  to  the  river,  stands  the 
broken  crater  of  one  of  the  Park's  greatest  geysers,  the 
Giant.  Lieutenant  Doane  compared  its  crater  to  a  'Tiuge 
shattered  horn.*' 

A  few  hundred  feet  further  up  stream,  still  close  to  the 
river,  is  the  Ohlong.  Directly  across  the  road,  but  a  short 
distance  away,  is  the  Splendid,  well  worthy  of  its  name; 
and  near  it,  sometimes  playing  simultaneously,  is  the 
Comet. 

To  the  westward  from  the  Firehole,  nearly  on  the  divide 
between  it  and  Iron  Creek,  is  a  lovely  spring,  called  the 
Puncli-Bowl.  x\cross  the  divide  in  the  Iron  Creek  Valley 
is  the  Blach  Sand  Basin,  a  unique  but  beautiful  pool. 
Near  it  is  another  attraction.  Specimen  Lal-e,  so  named 
from  an  abundance  of  specimens  of  partly  petrified  Avood. 
The  limit  of  curiosities  in  this  direction  is  Emerald  Pool, 
which  competent  judges  pronounce  to  be  the  finest 
quiescent  spring  in  the  Park. 

Eeturning  to  the  Firehole  by  a  different  route,  we  pass 
a  large  spring  or  geyser  known  as  the  Three  Crater  Spring. 


296  THE    YELLOWSTONE    NATIONAL    PAKK. 

Its  three  craters  are  connected  b}'  narrow  water  ways,  mak- 
ing one  continuous  pool,  though  fed  from  three  sources. 

A  thousand  feet  to  the  north  stands  the  most  imposing 
crater  in  the  Park_,  that  of  the  Castle  Geyser.  It  is 
frequently  seen  in  moderate  eruption,  but  rarely  when 
doing  its  best.  As  ordinarily  seen,  it  throws  a  column  of 
water  only  50  or  60  feet,  but  at  times  it  plays  as  high  as 
150  or  200  feet. 

Crossing  the  river  to  its  right  bank,  nearly  opposite  the 
Castle,  there  are  found  within  a  narrow  compass  three 
noted  geysers,  the  Sawmill,  Turhan,  and  Grand.  Of  these 
the  last  is  by  far  the  finest  and  ranks  among  the  very 
greatest  geysers  in  the  world.  It  was  not  seen  by  the 
AVashburn  Party,  in  1870,  but  it  seems  to  have  been  the 
first  ge^'ser  to  welcome  to  the  Upper  Basin  the  Hayden 
and  Barlow  parties  in  1871.  Captain  Barlow  says  of  its 
eruption :  * 

''This  grand  fountain  continued  to  play  for  several 
minutes.  AVhen  dying  down,  I  approached  to  obtain  a 
closer  view  of  the  aperture  whence  had  issued  such  a 
powerful  stream.  A  sudden  gush  of  steam  drove  me  away, 
following  which  the  water  was  again  impelled  upward  and 
upward,  far  above  the  steam,  till  it  seemed  to  have  lost 
the  controlling  force  of  gravity,  and  that  it  would  never 
cease  to  rise.  The  roar  was  like  the  sound  of  a  tornado, 
but  there  was  no  apparent  effort;  a  steady  stream,  very 
graceful  and  perfectly  vertical,  except  as  a  slight  breeze 
may  have  waved  it  to  and  fro.  Strong  and  smooth,  it 
continued  to  ascend  like  the  stream  from  a  powerful  steam 
fire-engine.  We  were  all  lost  in  astonishment  at  the  sudden 
and  marvelous  spectacle.  The  proportions  of  the  fountain 
were  perfect.    The  enthusiasm  of  the  party  was  manifested 


*  Page  25,  "Reconnaissance  of  the  Yellowstone  River.' 


A  TOUR  OF  THE  PARK.  297 

in  shouts  of  delight.  Under  the  excitement  of  the  mo- 
ment, it  was  estimated  to  be  from  three  to  five  hundred 
feet  in  height/^ 

Further  up  the  river  on  the  same  side  and  at  some  dis- 
tance back,  are  the  Lion,  Lioness  and  the  two  Cuhs,  an  in- 
teresting group,  including  one  notable  geyser.  Half  way 
up  a  high  mound  of  geyserite  which  covers  a  large  area  on 
the  north  side  of  the  river,  is  an  exquisitely  beautiful  for- 
mation called,  from  its  appearance,  the  Sponge. 

On  top  of  the  mound  is  another  of  the  great  geysers, 
thought  by  the  Washburn  Party  to  be  the  greatest  in  the 
world,  the  Giantess.  It  belongs  to  the  class  of  fountain 
geysers,  and  when  not  in  action  strongly  resembles  a  quies- 
cent spring.  Its  eruptions  are  infrequent  and  irregular, 
but  when  it  does  play  it  is  a  sight  not  to  be  forgotten.  Mr. 
Langford  thus  describes  the  first  eruption  known  to  have 
been  seen  by  white  men:* 

"We  were,  standing  on  the  side  of  the  geyser  nearest  the 
sun,  the  gleams  of  which  filled  the  sparkling  columns  of 
water  and  spray  with  myriad  rainbows,  whose  arches  are 
constantly  changing —  dipping  and  fluttering  hither  and 
thither,  and  disappearing  only  to  be  succeeded  by  others^ 
again  and  again,  amid  the  aqueous  column,  wdiile  the  mi- 
nute globules,  into  which  the  spent  jets  were  diffused  when 
falling,  sparkled  like  a  shower  of  diamonds,  and  around 
every  shadow  which  the  denser  clouds  of  vapor,  interrupt- 
ing the  sun's  rays,  cast  upon  the  column,  could  be  seen  a 
luminous  circle,  radiant  with  all  the  colors  of  the  prism, 
and  resembling  the  halo  of  glory  represented  in  paintings 
as  encircling  the  head  of  Divinity.  All  that  we  had  pre- 
viously witnessed  seemed  tame  in  comparison  with  the 
perfect  grandeur  and  beauty  of  this  display." 

♦  "The  Wonders  of  the  Yellowstone." 


298  THE    YELLOTTSTOXE    NATIONAL    PARK. 

Between  the  Giantess  and  the  river  is  the  Bee  Hive,  also 
one  of  the  more  prominent  geysers.  The  symmetry  of  its 
cone  is  only  surpassed  by  the  regularity  of  its  water 
column.  From  an  artistic  point  of  view  it  is  the  most 
perfect  geyser  in  the  Park.  Its  slender  jet  attains  a  great 
height  and  is  vertical  and  symmetrical  throughout. 

Crossing  again  to  the  west  bank  of  the  stream  and 
ascending  to  the  very  head  of  the  basin,  we  come  to  the 
last  and  most  important  of  the  geysers,  Old  Faithful. 
Any  other  geyser,  any  five  other  geysers,  could  be  erased 
from  the  list  better  than  part  with  Old  Faithful.  The 
Giant,  Giantess,  Grand,  Splendid,  and  Excelsior,  have 
more  powerful  eruptions.  The  Bee  Hive  is  more  artistic. 
The  Great  Fountain  has  a  more  wonderful  formation. 
But  Old  Faithful  partakes  in  a  high  degree  of  all  these 
characteristics,  and,  in  addition,  has  the  invaluable  quality 
of  uniform  periodicity  of  action.  It  is,  in;  fact,  the  most 
perfect  of  all  known  geysers. 

To  it  fell  the  honor  of  welcoming  civilized  man  to  this 
region.  It  was  the  first  geyser  named.  It  stands  at  the 
head  of  the  basin  and  has  been  happily  called  "The  Guar- 
dian of  the  Yalley." 

It  is  located  in  the  center  of  an  oblong  mound,  l-iS  by 
215  feet  at  the  base,  20  by  54  feet  at  the  summit,  and  about 
12  feet  high.  The  tube,  which  seems  to  have  originated 
in  a  fissure  in  the  rock,  has  an  inside  measurement  of  2  by 
6  feet. 

The  ornamentation  about  the  crater,  though  limited 
in  extent,  is  nowhere  surpassed  for  beauty  of  form  and 
color.  In  particular,  the  three  small  pools  on  the  north 
side  of  the  crater,  and  very  close  to  it,  are  specimens 
of  the  most  remarkable  handiwork  which  Nature  has 
lavished  upon  this  region.     A  singular  fact  is  that  the 


A  TOUR  OF  TtTE  PARK.  299 

waters  in  these  three  pools,  although  so  close  together  as 
apparently  to  be  subject  to  the  same  conditions,  are  of 
different  colors.  Speaking  of  these  marvelous  appearances, 
Lieutenant  Doane  says:* 

"One  instinctively  touches  the  hot  ledges  with  his 
hands,  and  sounds  with  a  stick  the  depths  of  the  cavities 
in  the  elope,  in  utter  doubt  of  the  evidence  of  his  own 
eves.  .  .  .  It  is  the  most  lovely  inanimate  object  in 
existence.'* 

In  its  eruption  this  geyser  is  equally  fascinating.  It 
always  gives  ample  warning,  and  visitors  have  time  to  sta- 
tion themselves  where  the  view  will  be  most  perfect. 
The  graceful  column  rises,  at  first  with  apparent  effort, 
but  later  with  evident  ease,  to  a  height  of  150  feet.  The 
noise  is  simply  that  of  a  jet  of  water  from  an  ordinary 
hose,  only  in  intensity  corresponding  to  the  greater  flow. 
The  steam,  when  carried  laterally  by  a  gentle  breeze, 
unfurls  itself  like  an  enormous  flag  from  its  watery  stand- 
ard. The  water  is  of  crystal  clearness,  and  the  myriad 
drops  float  in  the  air  with  all  manner  of  brilliant  effects. 
To  quote  Lieutenant  Doane  again: 

"Rainbows  play  around  the  tremendous  fountain,  the 
waters  of  which  fall  about  the  basin  in  showers  of  bril- 
liants, and  then  rush  steaming  down  the  slopes  to  the 
liver." 

The  uniform  periodicity  of  this  geyser  is  its  most  won- 
derful and  most  useful  characteristic.  It  never  fails  the 
tourist.  With  an  average  interval  of  sixty-five  minutes, 
it  varies  but  little  either  way.  The  combination  of  con- 
ditions by  which  the  supply  of  heat  and  water,  and  the 
form  of  tube,  are  so  perfectly  adapted  to  their  work,  that 
even  a  chronometer  is  scarcely  more  regular  in  its  action, 

♦  Page  29,  "Yellowstone  Expedition  of  1870." 


800  THE    YELLOWSTONE    NATIONAL    PARK. 

is  one  of  the  miracles  of  nature.  ISTight  and  day,  -winter 
and  summer,  seen  or  unseen,  this  "tremendous  fountain'' 
has  been  pla3dng  for  untold  ages.  Only  in  thousands  of 
years  can  its  lifetime  be  reckoned;  for  the  visible  work  it 
has  wrought,  and  its  present  infinitely  slow  rate  of  prog- 
ress, fairly  appall  the  inquirer  who  seeks  to  learn  its  real 
age. 


Upper  Geyser  Basin. 


icTHAPTER  XVII. 

A  TOUR  OF  THE  PAllK. 

Upper  Geyser  Basin  to  the  Yellowstone  Lake. 

Distance  nineteen  miles.  The  route  ascends  the  Fire- 
hole  River  to  the  mouth  of  Spring  Creek,  wiiich  stream  it 
follows  to  the  Continental  Divide.  For  seven  miles  it 
then  lies  on  the  Pacific  slope,  after  which  it  descends  the 
mountains  to  the  Yellowstone  Lake.  The  drive  is  one  of 
the  most  pleasant  in  the  Park,  and  the  scenery  is  pic- 
turesque and  wild. 

Kepler  Cascade  (1.25  miles)  is  a  fascinating  waterfall. 
Lieutenant  Doane,  w^ho  first  wrote  of  it,  says:* 

"These  pretty  little  falls,  if  located  on  an  eastern  stream, 
would  be  celebrated  in  history  and  song;  here,  amid  ob- 
jects so  grand  as  to  strain  conception  and  stagger  belief, 
they  were  passed  without  a  halt.'' 

Half  a  mile  up  the  Firehole,  above  the  mouth  of  Spring 
Creek,  is  the  Lone  Star  Geyser  (i  miles).  This  geyser 
is  conspicuous  chiefly  for  its  fine  cone.  It  plays  frequently 
to  a  height  of  40  or  50  feet. 

Madison  Lalce,  ten  miles  further  up  the  valley,  is  the 
ultimate  source  of  the  Madison  River.  This  body  of 
water,  with  the  exception  of  Red  Rock  Lake,  the  source  of 
the  Jefferson,  is  further  from  the  sea  by  direct  water 
course  than  any  other  lake  on  tlie  globe. 

Returning  down  the  Firehole,  we  enter  the  mouth  of 
Spring  Creclv  Cation  (3.5  miles),  which  the  road  ascends 
for  a  distance  of  three  miles.    This  is  one  of  the  prettiest 


♦  Page  27.  "Yellowstone  Expedition  of  1870.' 


802  THE  yelloavstoxe  national  park. 

drives  in  the  Park.  The  caiion  is  narrow  and  winding, 
hemmed  in  by  fantastic  rocks  and  dark,  evergreen  forests, 
and  traversed  by  a  crystal  mountain  stream  whose  banks 
are  thickly  lined  with  willow  and  other  shrubbery. 

The  first  crossing  the  Continental  Divide  (8.5  miles) 
is  through  a  narrow,  rocky  gorge,  overhung  by  precipit- 
ous cliffs,  inclosing  a  lily  covered  pond  which  rests 
squarely  on  the  doubtful  ground  between  the  two  oceans. 
Craig  Pass  and  Isa  Lake  are  the  names  that  have  been 
used  to  designate  these  two  features. 

Corkscrew  Hill  (9  miles)  is  a  name  originating  wdth 
the  stage  drivers,  and  refers  to  a  very  winding  stretch  of 
side  hill  road  about  a  mile  long,  leading  down  from  the 
Divide  to  the  valley  of  DeLacy  Creek.  Besides  its  pic- 
turesque scenery,  its  chief  interest  to  the  tourist  lies  in  the 
exhilarating  speed  at  which  coaches  are  bowled  down  the 
hill  after  the  slow  and  tedious  pull  up  the  other  side. 

Shoshotie  Point  (10.5  miles)  is  in  the  center  of  the 
large  amphitheater-shaped  tract  which  is  drained  by  the 
branches  of  DeLacy  Creek.  It  overlooks  Shoshone  Lake 
and  the  broad  basin  surrounding  it,  and  gives  a  splendid 
view  of  the  Teton  Mountains. 

Shoshone  Lake  is  a  lovely  body  of  water,  with  an  area 
of  twelve  square  miles  and  a  most  picturesque  shore  line. 
On  its  west  shore  is  a  geyser  basin,  second  in  importance 
only  to  those  on  the  Firehole.  Among  its  many  interest- 
ino:  features  may  be  mentioned  the  Union  Geyser,  of  which 
the  middle  crater  plays  to  a  height  of  100  feet;  and  the 
Bronze  Geyser,  very  striking  because  of  the  perfect  metal- 
lic luster  of  its  formation. 

From  Shoshone  Point,  the  road  again  ascends  to  the 
Continental  Di\dde,  and  then  drops  down  the  Atlantic 
slope  towards  the  Yellowstone  Valley. 


A   TOUR  OF  THE  PARK.  il03 

Lake  View  (18  miles)  is  at  a  point  where  a  suddn 
tui-n  in  the  forest  road  brings  the  tourist,  quite  without 
warning,  in  full  view  of  one  of  the  most  striking  water 
landscapes  in  the  world.  The  whole  vista  of  the  Yellow- 
stone Lake  is  spread  out  before  him,  still  300  feet  below 
where  he  is  staniding.  Far  to  the  right  and  left,  along 
the  distant  eastern  shore,  extends  the  Absaroka  Range  of 
mountains,  many  of  its  summits  still  capped  with  snow. 
Everywhere  the  dark  pine  forests  come  down  to  the  water's 
edge,  in  fine  contrast  with  the  silver  surface  of  the  lake. 
The  sparkling  of  the  waves,  the  passage  of  the  cloud  shad- 
ows, and  the  tranquil  mirror  of  the  waters  where  sheltered 
from  the  wind,  all  combine  to  make  the  picture  one  to  be 
long  remembered. 

The  Yellowstone  Lake  is  about  7,741  feet,  nearly  a  mile 
and  a  half,  above  the  level  of  the  sea.  It  has  a  shore  line 
of  100  miles,  and  an  area  of  139  square  miles.  Its  max- 
imum depth  is  300  feet,  and  its  average  depth  about  30 
feet.  It  is  fed  almost  entirely  from  the  springs  and  snow 
drifts  of  the  Absaroka  Range.  Its  waters  are  icy  cold, 
clear  and  transparent  to  great  depths,  and  literall}^  swarm 
with  trout.  It  is  subject  to  heavy  southwest  winds,  and  at 
times  is  lashed  into  tempestuous  seas. 

The  shape  of  the  lake  was  compared  by  the  early  explor- 
ers to  the  form  of  the  human  hand.  The  resemblance  is 
exceedingly  remote,  and  one  writer  has  well  observed  tliat 
only  the  hand  of  a  base  ball  player  who  has  stood  for  years 
behind  the  bat  could  satisfy  the  comparison.  The  "fin- 
gers" have  now  been  generally  dropped  from  the  maps  and 
replaced  by  the  usual  names ;  but  "Thumb"  seems  to  have 
become  a  fixture. 

Surpassing  the  Yellowstone  both  in  area  and  altitude 
there  are  but  few  lakes  in  the  world.    Lake  Titticaca,  in 


304  THE  YELLOWSTO\^E  XATIOXAL  PARK. 

Peru,  and  one  or  two  others  in  the  less  explored  regions 
of  the  Andes,  and  also  a  few  lakes  on  the  lofty  tableland 
of  Thibet^j  comprise  the  number. 

Tlie  Yellowstone  Lake  has  been  a  theme  of  enthusiastic 
praise  by  all  who  have  ever  seen  it,  and  no  encomium  that 
it  would  be  possible  to  pronounce  would  overrate  its 
merits.  One  has  but  to  witness  a  summer  sunrise  or 
Bunset  in  these  magnificent  surroundings  to  understand 
this.  It  is  said  that  Lake  Maggiore  of  Italy  bears  the 
closest  resemblance  to  it  of  any  well-known  lake^,  but  even 
it  does  not  appeal  to  the  imagination  like  these  mountains 
and  forests  and  resplendent  waters ;  resting  here  in  perfect 
harmony  on  the  very  summit  of  the  continent.  Standing 
on  its  shore  in  the  long  hours  of  a  summer  twilight,  and 
looking  out  upon  the  tinted  waters  in  which  are  imaged  the 
sun-gilded  mountain  tops  and  the  crimson  halo  of  a  western 
sk}',  one  can  well  understand  the  thrill  of  inspiration 
behind  these  exquisite  words  of  Mr.  Folsom — ^his  parting 
address  to  the  lake  in  1869,  as  he  turned  from  its  western 
shore  into  the  deep  forests  that  surround  it:* 

"As  we  were  about  departing  on  our  homeward  journey, 
we  ascended  the  summit  of  a  neighboring  hill  to  get  a 
final  view  of  Yellowstone  Lake.  Xestled  among  the  forest- 
crowned  hills  which  bounded  our  vision,  lay  this  inland 
sea,  its  crystal  waves  dancing  and  sparkling  in  the  sun- 
light as  if  laughing  with  joy  for  their  wild  freedom.  It 
is  a  scene  of  transcendent  beauty  which  has  been  viewed 
by  but  few  white  men,  and  we  felt  glad  to  have  looked 
upon  it  before  its  primeval  solitude  should  be  broken  by 
the  croAvds  of  pleasure  seekers  which  at  no  distant  day 
will  throng  its  shores." 


•  Page  20,  Langford's  reprint  of  the  "Valley  of  the  Upper' 
Yellowstone." 


o 


A  TOUR  OF  THE  PaRK.  305 

The  storms  on  the  lake  are  sometimes  severe,  and  the 
northwest  winds  stir  up  a  heavy  sea  nearly  every  day 
during  the  summer  season.  There  is,  however,  nothing 
of  a  cyclonic  character  about  them.  A  thunder  shower 
on  the  lake  in  1885  proved  fatal  to  a  member  of  a  govern- 
ment surveying  party  who  were  out  in  a  boat  near  the 
northeast  corner  of  the  lake.  It  was  a  combination  sail 
aud  row  boat,  and  the  lightning  struck  the  mast,  instantly 
killing  an  oarsman  who  was  sitting  near  it.  The  circum- 
stances attending  this  unfortunate  accident  were  very 
peculiar,  and  a  deal  of  romantic  lore  has  grown  up  around 
it.  One  singular  feature^  was  the  fact  that  there  was 
apparently  no  rain,  and  only  a  single  clap  of  thunder — 
a  veritable  bolt  from  a  clear  sky.  The  party  was  under 
^fr.  John  R.  Eenshaw,  United  States  Geological  Surv-ey, 
who  was  himself  rendered  insensible  for  a  time  by  the 
shock. 

A  most  singular  and  interesting  acoustic  phenomenon 
of  this  region,  although  rarely  noticed  by  tourists,  is  the 
occurrence  of  strange  and  indefinable  overhead  sounds. 
The};  have  long  been  noted  by  explorers,  but  only  in  the 
vicinity  of  Shoshone  and  Yellowstone  Lakes.  They  seem 
to  occur  in  the  morning,  and  to  last  only  for  a  moment. 
They  have  an  apparent  motion  through  the  air,  the  general 
direction  noted  by  writers  being  from  north  to  south.  They 
resemble  the  ringing  of  telegraph  wires  or  the  humming  of 
a  swarm  of  bees,  beginning  softly  in  the  distance,  growing 
rapidly  plainer  until  directly  overhead,  and  then  fading  as 
rapidly  in  the  opposite  direction.  Although  this  phenom- 
enon has  been  made  the  subject  of  scientific  study,  no 
rational  explanation  of  it  has  ever  been  advanced.  Its 
weird  character  is  in  keeping  with  its  strange  surroundings. 
In  other  lands  and  times  it  would  have  been  an  object  of 
(13*) 


306  THE    YELLOWSTO^^E    XATIOXAL    PARK. 

superstitions  reverence  or  dread,  and  would  have  found  a 
permanent  place  in  the  traditions  of  the  people. 

Dropping  down  from  Lake  View,  where  we  left  the  tour- 
ist while  making  these  few  observations  upon  Yellowstone 
Lake,  we  next  come  to  Duclc  Lalce  (18  miles),  a  snug  little 
pond  of  genuine  beauty,  ensconced  in  the  dense  forest 
scarcely  half  a  mile  distant  from  the  shore  of  the  larger 
lake. 

The  road  touches  the  Yellowstone  Lake  at  its  western- 
most extremity,  where  the  Soutliern  Approach  comes  in. 
This  road  leads  up  from  the  famous  Jaclson  Hole  and 
Lake,  and  from  the  Teton  J/o?/»^au?s,  all  of  which  lie  well 
south  of  the  Park.  The  distance  to  the  outlet  of  Jackson 
Lake,  immediately  opposite  the  Grand  Teton,  is  forty-five 
miles.  From  Jackson  Hole  there  is  a  government  road 
leading  into  the  Wind  Eive'r  Valley  and  Central  Wyoming, 
and  another  road  leading  across  Teton  Pass  into  Idaho. 

From  the  time  when  it  first  became  well  known  to  the 
fur  traders  before  1830,  the  Valley  of  eJackson  Hole  has 
been  considered  one  of  the  most  beautiful  mountain  valleys 
in  the  world.  A  striking  feature  is  its  extremeh^  flat  topog- 
raphy in  certain  portions,  surrounded  as  it  is  by  some  of  the 
most  rugged  mountains  on  the  continent.  Its  beauty  is 
greatly  enhanced  by  the  presence  of  several  lakes,  which  lie 
immediately  at  the  base  of  the  Teton  range,  and  in  whose 
placid  surface  these  mountains  stand  reflected  as  from  the 
most  perfect  mirror.  The  landscape  tlui<  formed  has  been 
the  despair  of  painters  of  natural  scenery  since  the  valley 
became  frequented  by  students  of  nature.  ]Sreither  pen 
nor  pencil,  nor  the  modern  perfection  of  the  photographic 
art,  can  reproduce  its  marvelous  beauty. 

The  Teton  Mountains,  which  the  tourist  sees  from 
different  points  on  the  park  road  system,  here  stand  forth 
in  their  full  grandeur  in  his  immediate  presence.     It  is 


A  TOUR  OF  THE  PARK.  307 

the  most  striking  mountain  range  in  the  entire  Rocky 
Mountain  region.  The  French  trappers  gave  the  name 
Les  Trois  Tetons  (Three  Tetons),  hecause  from  certain 
points  of  view  three  peaks  stood  out  prominently  above  all 
the  others.  The  altitude  of  the  Grand  Teton  is  13,691 
feet,  being  the  highest  in  the  Central  Rocky  Mountain 
region  north  of  Colorado,  unless  it  be  Fremont  Peak,  in 
the  Wind  River  Mountains,  which  is  of  almost  exactly  the 
same  altitude.  It  is  not  alone  its  great  altitude  that  has 
mtide  the  Grand  Teton  so  famous  in  frontier  history.  Tlv 
topography  of  the  surrounding  countr}'  is  such  that  i's 
summit  is  visible  at  a  great  distance  in  almost  every 
direction,  while  its  appearance  from  wherever  seen  is 
striking  and  unmistakable.  From  Union  Pass,  for  exam- 
ple, sixty  miles  east,  it  looks  like  a  slender  spire  of  pure 
outline  piercing  the  sky,  in  appearance  so  remarkable  that 
the  beholder  is  forced  to  question  whether  it  can  really 
pertain-to  any  mountain.  It  was  the  great  prominence  of 
this  peak,  and  its  ease  of  identification  from  other  moun- 
tains, that  made  it  so  useful  to  the  early  travelers.  Far 
and  wide  it  was  the  beacon  of  the  trapper.  Familiar  with 
its  different  aspects  as  seen  from  different  directions,  In; 
could  tell  his  position  at  once  when  his  eyes  fell  upon  it. 
To  the  visitor  in  the  Park,  whether  he  goes  to  Jackson 
Hole  or  not,  this  mountain  becomes  a  familiar  sight,  and 
one  that  never  fails  to  appeal  to  his  sense  of  natural  beau- 
ty. It  is  prominently  visible  from  ^he  following  points 
on  the  road  system:  Shoshone  Point,  Yellowstone  Lake, 
several  points  on  the  Fast  Road,  and  on  nearly  the  en- 
tire portion  of  the  road  leading  up  the  southern  slope  of 
Mt.  Washburn.* 


♦  The  Grand  Teton  Is  one  of  the  most  difficult  mountains 
to  climb  of  which  there  Is  any  knowledge.     To  the  present 


308  THE    yi'LLOWSTOXE    NATIONAL    PARK. 

The  only  objects  of  particular  interest  on  the  south- 
ern approach  in  going  from  Yellowstone  Lake  to  JacksoD 
Hole,  are  Lewis  Lahe,  the  Falls  of  Leivis  River,  just  below 
the  lake,  and  Moose  Falls,  on  Crawfish  Creek. 

From  the  west  shore  of  Yellowstone  Lake  a  visit 
can  be  advantageously  made  to  Heart  Lal-e  and  Mount 
Sheridan.  This  lake  has  been  pronounced  the  prettiest  in 
the  Park.  Near  it,  on  the  tributary  Witch  Creek,  is  a 
small  but  important  geyser  basin.  The  principal  features 
are  the  Deluge,  Spile  and  Eustic  Geysers,  and  the  Fissure 
Group  of  springs.  The  Eustic  Geyser  is  remarkable  in 
having  about  it  a  cordon  of  logs,  evidently  placed  there  by 
the  Indians  or  white  men  many  years  ago.  The  logs  are 
completely  incrusted  with  the  deposits  of  the  springs. 

Mt.  Sheridan  would  rank  with  Mt.  AYashburn  as  a  popu- 
lar peak  for  mountain  climbers  were  it  only  more  accessi- 
ble.   No  summit  in  the  Park  affords  a  finer  prospect. 

The  junction  of  the  main  tourist  route  with  the  south- 
ern approach  is  an  important  point  in  the  Park  business. 
A  lunch  station  is  located  here  and  also  a  patrol  station 
for  government  troops.  It  is  here  that  the  tourist  boat 
leaves  the  west  shore  and  from  this  point  there  is  a  choice 
of  routes  to  the  lake  hotel  at  the  outlet  either  across  the 
lake  by  boat  or  by  the  road  over  the  hills. 

The  only  attractions  on  the  road  are  a  few  fine  views  of 
the  lake,  and  the  Natural  Bridge  (11  miles)  over  a  small 
stream  that  empties^into  the  lake.     This  feature  consists 


time  (1903)  it  has  been  ascended  by  white  men  only  twice; 
by  Messrs.  N.  P.  Langford  and  James  Stevenson  in  1872,  and 
by  Messrs.  William  Owen,  Frank  S.  Spalding,  John  Shive, 
and  Frank  Peterson  in  1898.  These  explorers  found,  on  a 
point  a  little  lower  ihan  the  main  summit,  a  rude  shelter  of 
granite  slabs,  evidently  placed  there  by  human  hands,  one  can 
only  conjecture  how  long  ago. 


Thunderstorm  on  Yellowstone  Lake. 


A   TOUR  OF   THE   PARK.  309 

of  an  arch  about  forty  feet  high  and  thirty  feet  span.  As 
Been  from  below,  it  is  of  very  symmetrical  outline. 

The  boat  ride  across  the  lake  is  one  of  the  delightful 
features  of  the  tour.  It  is  a  welcome  relief  from  the  long 
coach  rides  and  is  in  itself  a  rare  experience,  for  nowheic 
else  in  the  ordinary  routes  of  travel  over  the  globe  is  the 
tourist  likely  to  ride  on  a  body  of  water  of  similar  extent  lo- 
cated a  mile  and  a  half  above  the  level  of  the  sea.  From 
near  the  center  of  the  lake  the  view  is  surpassingly  fine. 
To  the  south  and  southwest  the  long  arms  of  the  lake  pen- 
etrate the  dark  forest-clad  hills,  which  are  but  stepping 
Btones  to  the  lofty  mountains  behind  them.  Far  beyond 
these  may  again  be  seen  the  familiar  forms  of  the  Tetons. 
All  along  the  eastern  shore  stand  the  serried  peaks  of  the 
Absaroka  Range,  the  boundary  which  nature  has  so  well 
establislied  along  the  eastern  border  of  the  Park.  A  notalde 
feature  of  this  range  is  the  profile  of  a  human  face  formed 
by  the  superimposed  contours  of  two  mountain  peaks, 
one  some  distance  behind  the  other.  The  best  effect  is  had 
from  points  between  Stevenson  Island  and  the  Lake  Hotel. 
The  face  is  looking  directly  upward.  A  similar  profile, 
noted  by  the  early  explorers  from  the  summit  of  Mt. 
Washburn,  and  nearly  in  the  same  locality  as  this,  al- 
though of  course  not  the  same  feature,  was  called  by  them 
the  "Giant's  Face,"  or  the  "Old  Man  of  the  Mountain.*' 

The  Yellowstone  Lake  is  an  important  center  of  thermal 
activity.  On  the  west  shore  is  an  extensive  and  important 
hot  springs  basin.  The  principal  features  are  the  Paint 
Pots,  not  inferior  to  those  near  the  Fountain  Hotel,  two 
of  the  largest  and  most  beautiful  quiescent  springs  in  the 
Park ;  the  Lal-e  Shore  Geyser,  which  plays  frequently  to  a 
height  of  about  30  feet;  an  unnamed  geyser  of  consider- 
able power  but  of  very  infrequent  action;  and  the  cele- 


310  THE    YELLOWSTONE    NATIONAL    PAEK. 

brated  Fishing  Cone  where  unfortunate  trout  find  catch- 
ing and  cooking  painfully  near  together.  On  the  north- 
east shore  are  Steamboat  Spring,  and  other  thermal  phe- 
nomena worth  \dsiting. 

Some  twenty  miles  above  the  head  of  the  lake  is  the 
celebrated  Two-Ocean  Pass,  long  known  to  the  early  trap- 
pers. It  is  probably  the  most  remarkable  example  of  such 
a  phenomenon  in  the  world.  x\lthough  the  fact  of  its  ex- 
istence was  asserted  and  stoutly  maintained  by  Bridger  for 
many  years  prior  to  the  discovery  of  the  Park  region,  it 
was  generally  disbelieved  until  Captain  Jones  crossed  the 
pass  in  1873.  It  has  since  been  visited  and  described  by 
Hayden  in  1878,  by  Hague  in  1881,  and  by  Prof.  Ever- 
mann  of  the  United  States  Fish  Commission  in  1891.  The 
following  facts  are  taken  from  Prof.  Evermann's  report: 

The  pass  is  in  a  nearly  level  grassy  park  hemmed  in 
by  the  surrounding  hills,  and  is  8,150  feet  above  the  level 
of  the  sea.  Its  extreme  length  is  about  one  mile  and  its 
extreme  breadth  about  three-fourths  of  a  mile.  From  the 
north  a  stream  issues  from  a  caiion  and  divides,  part  flow- 
ing to  Atlantic  Creek  and  part  to  Pacific  Creek.  A  similar 
stream,  with  a  similar  division,  comes  from  the  south.  At 
extreme  low  water,  these  divisions  may  possibly  disappear 
and  all  the  water  flow  either  one  way  or  the  other.  But 
at  ordinary  and  high  stages  the  Avater  flows  both  ways. 
These  streams  are  by  no  means  insignificant  rivulets,  but 
substantial  water-courses  capable  of  affording  passage  to 
fish  of  considerable  size. 

Here,  then,  we  have  the  very  interesting  phenomenon  of 
a  single  stream  upon  the  summit  of  the  continent  dividing 
and  flowing  part  one  way  and  part  the  other,  and  forming 
a  continuous  water  connection  between  the  x\tlantic  and 
Pacific  Oceans  over  a  distance  of  nearly  6,000  miles. 


A  TOUR  OF  THE  PARK.  311 

The  Lake  Hotel  is  situated  about  a  mile  southwest  of 
the  outlet  in  an  open  grove  back  a  few  hundred  feet  from 
the  shore.  It  is  the  the  most  important  point  in  the  Park 
business  except  Mammoth  Hot  Springs.  The  headquarters 
of  the  boat  management  is  here,  as  are  also  a  branch,  station 
of  the  "Weather  Bureau,  a  patrol  station  for  the  troops 
and  one  of  the  Wylie  ^'permanent  camps/'  Only  a  mile 
and  a  half  distant  is  the  junction  with  the 

Eastern  Approach.  This  road  is  throughout  its  length 
one  of  exceptional  scenic  attraction,  and  will  always  be  of 
great  interest  to  travelers.  It  crosses  the  Yellowstone 
Eiver  just  below  the  lake  outlet,  and  then  follows  the  shore 
of  the  lake  for  about  four  miles.  It  touches  Indian  Pond 
(3  miles),  a  very  pretty  sheet  of  water  near  the  lake,  from 
the  shore  of  which  a  splendid  view  can  be  had  of  the  Teton 
Mountains  and  of  Mt.  Sheridan.  The  next  attraction  is 
Turhid  Lake  (5  miles),  a  circular  shaped  body  of  water, 
half  a  mile  in  diameter.  The  bottom  of  this  lake  is  honey- 
comljcd  with  steam  vents  which  stir  up  the  mud  and  keep 
the  water  in  a  roily,  turbid  condition. 

Further  on  is  a  fine  example  of  ^Vedded  trees,"  and 
another  of  the  numerous  ''apollinaris"  springs.  Every- 
where the  trails  of  elk  may  be  seen,  spreading  like  a  net 
work  over  the  mountain  side,  for  this  is  a  great  summer 
grazing  ground  for  these  animals. 

The  road,  as  it  winds  along  the  hillsides  to  secure  easy 
grades  and  bring  out  the  scenery,  affords  several  magnifi- 
cent view^s  of  the  lake  and  of  the  mountains  beyond. 

Sylvan  Lake,  near  the  source  of  Clear  Creek,  is  one  of 
the  beauties  of  the  Park.  It  is  not  a  large  body  of  water, 
but  its  irregular  shore  line,  its  fringe  of  dark  evergreen 
trees  and  the  lofty  mountains  that  overhang  it,  make  up  a 
picture  which  appeals  to  the  artistic  instincts  of  the  vis- 
itor. 


312  ^    THE    YELLOWSTOXE    NATIONAL    PARK. 

Sylvan  Pass  (22  miles)  takes  its  name  from  the  lake, 
for  there  is  nothing  of  a  sylvan  character  in  the  pass  it- 
self. On  the  conivsLTj  it  presents  a  scene  entirely  nniq-ae 
among  mountain  passes.  It  is  like  a  vast  trough,  the  sides 
of  which  are  composed  of  loose  rock  that  has  fallen  down 
from  the  lofty  cliffs  above,  and  now  rests  on  its  natural 
slope,  forming  a  treacherous  foothold  even  for  the  wild 
animals  of  the  mountains.  The  great  natural  obstacles 
in  crossing  it  have  always  prevented  it  from  being  much 
used,  either  by  wild  game  or  the  Indians,  and  it  was  not 
until  after  extensive  exploration  that  the  government  engi- 
neers finally  selected  it  for  the  line  of  the  Eastern  Ap- 
proach across  the  Absaroka  Divide.  Two  considerations 
at  length  prevailed  over  the  enormous  difficulties  of  the 
work — the  fact  that  the  pass  was  nearly  1,000  feet  lower 
than  any  other  available,  and  the  unique  and  unusual  char- 
acter of  the  scenery. 

At  the  very  summit  of  the  pass  a  rippling  waterfall 
comes  down  from  the  cliffs  on  the  south,  and  flows  into 
a  little  pond  of  great  clearness  and  depth.  Owing  to  the 
loose  texture  of  the  rock-filled  ravine,  a  large  part  of  the 
water  that  enters  this  pond  flows  away  by  subterranean 
passages,  and  it  is  full  to  overflowing  only  during  the 
spring  high  water.  By  the  end  of  the  tourist  season  it 
falls  nearly  ten  feet. 

The  pass  is  flanked  by  lofty  moimtains — Avalanche  Peak 
and  Mount  Hoyl  on  the  north,  and  Grizzly  and  Top  Notch 
Peal'S  on  the  south.  They  rise  directly  from  the  pass  to 
heights  of  from  1,000  to  2,000  feet. 

Descending  from  the  pass  by  a  steep  grade,  the  road 
arrives,  in  about  a  mile,  at  a  crystal  fountain  which  is 
probably  the  largest  cold  water  spring  in  the  park.  It 
gives  egress  to  the  waters  which  flow  out  of  Sylvan  Pass 


A  TOUR  OF  TUE  PARK.  313 

through  the  loose  rock.  This  spring  is  on  the  immediate 
borders  of  Middle  Creek  (:33  miles) ^  the  left  shore  of 
which  the  road  follows  to  its  outlet.  The  valley  of  this 
stream  presents  some  of  the  most  rugged  topography  in 
the  mountains,  and  the  construction  of  the  road  through  it 
was  a  work  of  great  difficulty.  Wild  torrents  are  everywhere 
rushing  down  the  mountain  sides.  Frequent  labyrinths 
of  fallen  trees  and  rocks  show  where  avalanches  and  land- 
elides  have  swept  everything  before  them.  Wherever  the 
forests  open  so  as  to  give  a  view  outside,  the  lofty  crests 
of  the  neighboring  mountains  are  seen,  in  far  greater 
apparent  altitude  than  when  viewed  from  a  distance  in 
the  open  country. 

Soon  after  crossing  the  east  boundary  (30  miles),  the 
road  arrives  at  Shoshone  River  (32  miles),  which  it  crosses 
just  above  the  mouth  of  Middle  Creek.  It  follows  the 
immediate  shore  of  this  stream  all  the  re^t  of  the  way 
through  the  forest  reserve.  Along  this  portion  of  the 
road  the  scenery  is  grand  and  inspiring.  The  mountains 
are  far  more  rugged  and  wild  than  in  the  Park,  and  aver- 
age about  2,000  feet  higher.  Strange  and  fantastic  forms, 
like  the  "Hoodoos"  east  of  the  Park,  abound.  The  river 
itself  is  a  beautiful  stream,  but  wild  and  unmanagable  in 
the  season  of  floods.  Its  shores  are  lined  with  attractive 
verdure  in  the  form  of  cottonwood,  quaking  aspen  and 
willow. 

The  Eastern  Approach  gives  access  to  the  Park  from  the 
celebrated  Big  Horn  Basin, .of  W3^oming,  and  connects 
with  the  Burlington  Eailroad  system. 


(14) 


CHAPTER  XVIII. 

A  TOUR  OF  THE  PARK. 

Yellowstone  Lake  to  the  Grand  Canon  of  the  Yellowstone. 

Distance  seventeen  miles.  The  road  follows  the  Yellow- 
stone Eiver  along  the  west  bank  all  the  way. 

Just  after  the  tourist  leaves  the  Lake  Hotel  he  will  sec 
on  the  right  of  the  roadway  a  small  monument.  It  was 
placed  there,  in  1893,  by  the  United  States  Corps  of 
Engineers  to  mark  a  position  accurately  determined  from 
astronomical  observations  by  the  United  States  Coast  and 
Geodetic  Survey  in  1892.  It  is  of  value  as  a  jDoint  of  refer- 
ence in  surveys  and  other  similar  work.* 

Mild  Volcano  (7.5  miles)  is  a  weird,  uncanny  object, 
but,  nevertheless,  a  very  fascinating  feature,  and  one 
which  the  tourist  should  stop  and  examine.  It  is  an 
immense  funnel-shaped  crater  in  the  side  of  a  considerable 
hill  on  the  west  bank  of  the  river.  The  mud  rises  some 
distance  above  a  large  steam  vent  in  the  side  of  the  crater 
next  the  hill,  and  chokes  the  vent  until  the  steam  has 
accumulated  in  sufficient  force  to  lift  the  superincumbent 
mass.  As  the  imprisoned  steam  bursts  forth  it  hurls  the 
mud  with  great  violence  against  the  opposite  side  of  the 
crater,  making  a  heavy  thud  which  is  audible  for  half  a 
mile.    These  outbursts  take  place  every  few  seconds. 

A  striking  example  of  the  strange  commingling  of  dis- 
similar features  in  the  hot  springs  districts  is  found  in  the 


Latitude,  40°  33'  16.1''  north, 
longitude,  110°  23'  43.1"  west. 
Magnetic  variation  about  19"  east. 


A   TOUR  OF  THE  PARK.  315 

Grotto,  a  spring  of  perfectly  clear  water,  not  far  from  the 
]\Iud  Volcano.  It  is  acted  upon  by  the  steam  in  a  manner 
precisely  similar  to  that  of  the  Mud  Volcano,  but  its 
waters  issue  directly  from  the  rock,  and  are  entirely  clear. 

Mud  Geyser,  now  rarely  seen  in  action,  was  an  import- 
ant geyser  twenty  years  ago.  As  it  became  infrequent  in 
its  eruptions,  and  tourists  rarely  saw  them,  the  name  was 
unconsciously,  but  mistakenly,  transferred  to  the  Mud 
Volcano,  which  has  none  of  the  characteristics  of  a 
geyser. 

The  locality  where  these  objects  are  found  has  consid- 
erable historic  interest.  The  ford  just  below  the  Mud  Vol- 
cano was  long  used  by  the  hunters  and  trappers  who 
passed  up  and  down  the  river.  Folsom  crossed  it  in  18GD, 
and  the  "Washburn  party  in  IS  TO.  The  Xez  Perces 
encamped  here  two  days,  in  18TT,  and  here  transpired  a  pa:t 
of  the  episode  elsewhere  related.  Hither  came  General 
Howard  in  pursuit  of  the  Indians,  although  he  did  not 
cross  the  river  at  this  point. 

Trout  Creel:  (9.5  miles)  has  a  most  peculiar  feature, 
where  the  tourist  route  crosses  it,  in  the  form  of  an 
extraordinary  doubling  of  the  channel  upon  itself.  It 
resembles  in  form  the  trade-mark  of  the  Xorthern  Pacific 
Eailroad. 

Sulphur  Mountain  (11.5  miles)  is  half  a  mile  back  from 
the  main  route.  At  its  base  is  a  remarkable  sulphur 
spring,  always  in  a  state  of  violent  ebullition,  although 
discharging  only  a  small  amount  of  water.  This  is  highly 
impregnated  with  sulphur,  and  leaves  a  yellow  border 
along  the  rivulet  which  carries  it  away.  The  best  time  to 
visit  Sulphur  ]\Iountain  is  on  a  clear,  sharp  morning.  Tlie 
myriad  little  steam  vents  which  cover  the  surface  of  the 
hill  are  then  very  noticeable. 


316  THE    lELLOWSTOXE    NATIONAL    PARK. 

Hay  den  Valley  is  a  broad,  grassy  expanse  extending 
several  miles  along  the  river,  and  far  back  from  it  on  the 
"west  side.  It  was  once  a  vast  arm  of  the  lake.  It  com- 
prises some  fifty  square  miles,  and  is  an  important  winter 
range  for  the  Park  buifalo  and  elk. 

"Spurgiti's  Beaver  Slide''  (13.5  miles)  is  back  from  the 
road,  and  is  the  place,  described  in  a  previous  chapter, 
where  Captain  Spurgin,  in  1877,  let  Howard's  wagon  train 
down  the  steep  side  of  the  mountain.  The  evidences  of  his 
vrork  are  still  distinctly  visible. 

The  river  along  the  lower  portion  of  Hayden  Valley  is 
the  most  tranquil  "and  lovely  stream  imaginable — broad, 
deep,  transparent,  flowing  peacefully  around  its  graceful 
curves,  disturbed  only  by  the  splashing  trout  which  inhabit 
it.  There  is  little  here  to  suggest  the  mad  turmoil  into 
which  it  is  soon  to  plunge.  At  a  point  fifteen  miles  below 
the  lake,  the  river  and  road  are  forced  by  the  narrowing 
valley  close  together.  The  stream  becomes  suddenly  broken 
into  turbulent  cascades  as  it  dashes  violently  between  pre- 
cipitous banks  and  among  massive  boulders. 

The  road  also  becomes  decidedly  picturesque.  Hung 
up  on  the  almost  vertical  cliff  overlooking  the  rapids,  it 
forms  a  short  drive  unsurpassed  for  interest  an3^where  else 
in  the  Park.  At  one  point  it  crosses  a  deep  ravine  over 
the  highest  bridge  on  the  road  system.  Just  to  the  left 
of  this  bridge,  in  the  bottom  of  the  ravine,  still  stands 
the  tree  upon  which  some  white  man  carved  his  initials 
away  back  in  1819. 

Half  a  mile  below  the  head  of  the  rapids,  the  river  sud- 
denly contracts  its  width  to  less  than  Mty  feet,  turns 
abruptly  to^he  right,  and  disappears.  It  is  the  Upper  Falls 
of  the  Yellowstone.  In  some  respects,  this  cataract  dif- 
fers from  almost  any  other.     Although  the   ledge  over 


A  TOCR  OF  THE  VAUK.  317 

which  it  falls  is  apparently  perpendicular,  the  velocity  of 
flow  at  the  crest  of  the  fall  is  so  great  that  the  water  pours 
over  as  if  on  the  surface  of  a  wheel.  Visitors  at  Niagara 
have  noticed  the  difference  in  this  respect  between  the 
almost  vertical  sheet  of  water  on  the  American  side  and 
the  well-rounded  flow  at  the  apex  of  the  Horseshoe  Fall. 
The  height  of  the  Upper  Fall  of  the  Yellowstone  is  112 
feet. 

From  this  point,  the  character  of  the  scenery  is  wild 
and  rugged.  A  ride  of  a  few  hundred  yards  brings  the 
tourist  to  a  sharp  bend  in  the  road,  which  at  once  unfolds 
to  him  the  whole  vista  of  the  Grand  Canon  of  the  Yellow- 
stone. The  sight  is  so  impressive  and  absorbing  that  the 
chances  are  he  will  cross  the  ravine  of  Cascade  Creek  with-  . 
out  even  noticing  the  lovely  Crystal  Falls  almost  beneath 
his  feet. 

The  Cafion  Hotel  is  half  a  mile  be^^ond  Cascade  Creek, 
in  an  open  park,  a  little  way  back  from  the  brink  of  the 
Cafion.  From  its  porch,  the  crest  of  Upper  Fall  can 
be  seen,  and  the  roar  of  both  cataracts  is  distinctly  audible. 

The  Grand  Cafion  of  the  Yellowstone  is  acknowledged  by 
all  beholders  to  stand  w^ithout  parallel  among  the  natural 
wonders  of  the  globe.  Other  caiions,  the  Yosemite,  for 
example,  have  greater  depths  and  more  imposing  walls; 
but  there  are  none  which,  in  the  words  of  Captain  Ludlow, 
"unite  more  potently  the  two  requisites  of  majesty  and 
beauty."  The  cafion  itself  is  vast.  A  cross-section  in  the 
largest  part  measures  2,000  feet  at  the  top,  200  feet  at  the 
bottom,  and  is  1,200  feet  deep,  giving  an  area  of  over 
thirty  acres.  But  such  a  gorge  in  an}^  other  part  of  the 
world  would  not  be  what  it  is  here.  Its  sides  would  soon 
be  clothed  with  vegetation,  and  it  would  be  simply  an  im- 


318  Tin-    YELLOWSTONE    NATIONAL    PARK. 

mense  valley,  beautiful,  no  doubt,  but  not  what  it  is  Ib 
the  Yellowstone  Park. 

There  are  three  distinct  features  which  unite  their  pecu- 
liar glories  to  enhance  the  beauty  of  this  canon.  These 
are  the  canon  itself,  the  waterfall  at  its  head,  and  the  river 
below. 

It  is  the  volcanic  rock  through  which  the  river  has  cut 
its  way  that  gives  the  Grand  Caiion  its  distinctive  charac- 
ter. It  is  pre-eminently  a  canon  of  color.  The  hue  has  no 
existence  which  can  not  be  found  there.  "Hung  up  and 
let  down  and  spread  abroad  are  all  the  colors  of  the  land, 
Bea  and  sky,^^  says  Talmage,  without  hyperbole.  From  the 
dark,  forest-bordered  brink,  the  sides  descend  for  the  most 
part  with  the  natural  slope  of  the  loose  rock,  but  fre- 
quently broken  by  vertical  ledges  and  isolated  pinnacLs, 
which  give  a  castellated  and  romantic  air  to  the  whol}. 
Eagles  build  their  nests  here,  and  soar  midway  through 
the  vast  chasm,  far  below  the  beholder.  The  more  prom- 
inent of  the  projecting  ledges  cause  many  turns  in  the 
general  course  of  the  canon,  and  give  numerous  vantage 
places  for  sight-seeing.  Lode  out  Point  is  one  of  these, 
half  a  mile  below  the  Lower  Falls.  Inspiration  Point, 
some  two  miles  farther  down,  is  another.  The  gorgeous 
coloring  of  the  cafion  walls  does  not  extend  through  its 
entire  length  of  twenty  miles.  In  the  lower  portion,  the 
forests  have  crept  well  down  to  the  water's  edge.  Still,  it 
is  everywhere  an  extremely  beautiful  and  impressive  sight. 
Along  the  bottom  of  the  canon,  numerous  steam  vents  can 
he  seen,  one  of  which,  it  is  said,  exhibits  geyseric  action. 
In  places,  the  canon  walls  almost  shut  out  the  light  of  day 
from  the  extreme  bottom.  Lieutenant  Doane,  who  made 
the  dangerous  descent  several  miles  below  the  Falls,  re- 
cords that  "  it  was-  about  three  o'clock  r.  ii.,  and  stars 


A   TOUK  OF  THE  PARK.  31^ 

could  be  distinctly  seen,  so  much  of  the  sunlight  was  cat 
ofT  from  entering  the  chasm." 

Ilio  Lower  Fall  of  the  Yellowstone  must  be  placed  in 
the  front  rank  of  similar  phenomena.  It  carries  not  one- 
twentieth  of  the  water  of  Niagara,  but  Niagara  is  in  no 
single  part  so  beautiful.  Its  height  is  310  feet.  Its  descent 
is  very  regular,  slightly  broken  by  a  point  of  rock  on  the 
right  bank.  A  third  of  the  fall  is  hidden  behind  the  vast 
cloud  of  spray  which  forever  conceals  the  mad  play  of  the 
waters  beneath;  but  the  mighty  turmoil  of  that  recess  in 
the  rocks  may  be  judged  from  the  deep-toned  thunder 
which  rises  in  ceaseless  cadence  and  jars  the  air  for  miles 
around. 

To  many  visitors  the  stream  far  down  in  the  bottom 
of  the  canon  is  the  crowning  beauty  of  the  whole  scene.  It 
is  so  distant  that  its  rapid  course  is  diminished  to  the 
gentlest  movement,  and  its  continuous  roar  to  the  subdued 
murmur  of  the  pine  forests.  Its  winding,  hide-and-seek 
course,  its  dark  surface  where  the  shadows  cover  it,  its 
bright  limpid  green  under  the  play  of  the  sunlight,  its 
ever  recurring  foam- white  patches,  and  particularly  its 
display  of  life  where  all  around  is  silent  and  motionless, 
make  it  a  thing  of  entrancing  beauty  to  all  who  behold  it. 

It  is  not  strange  that  this  canon  has  been  a  theme  for 
writer,  painter  and  photographer,  from  its  discovery  to 
the  present  time.  But  at  first  thought  it  is  strange  that  all 
attempts  to  portray  its  beauties  are  less  satisfactory  than 
those  pertaining  to  any  other  feature  of  the  Park.  The 
artist  Moran  acknowledged  that  "its  beautiful  tints  were 
beyond  the  reach  of  human  art;''  and  General  Sherman 
said  of  this  artist's  celebrated  effort :  "The  painting  by 
Moran  in  the  Capitol  is  good^  but  painting  and  words  are 
unequal  to  the  subject/'' 


S20  THE    YELLOWSTONE    NATIONAL   PARK. 

In  photography,  the  number  of  pictures  by  professional 
ond  amateur  artists  that  have  been  made  of  this  caiion  is 
prodigious.  But  photography  can  only  reproduce  the  form ; 
it  is  powerless  in  the  presence  of  such  an  array  of  colors 
as  here  exists. 

The  pen  itself  is  scarcely  more  effective  than  the  pencil 
or  camera.  Folsom,  who  first  wrote  of  the  canon,  frankly 
owned  that  "language  is  entirely  inadequate  to  convey  a 
just  conception  of  the  awful  grandeur  and  sublimity  of 
this  masterpiece  of  nature's  handiwork.''  Time  has  shown 
this  confession  to  be  substantially  true.  From  the  clumsy 
work  of  the  casual  newspaper  scril)e,  to  the  giddy  flight 
of  that  eminent  clergyman,  who  fancied  he  saw  in  this 
canon  a  suitable  hall  for  the  great  judgment,  with  the  na- 
tions of  the  earth  filing  along  the  bottom  upon  waters 
^'congealed  and  transfixed  with  the  agitations  of  that  day," 
all  descriptions  do  injustice  to  their  subject.  They  fall 
short  of  their  mark  or  overreach  it.  They  are  not  true  to 
nature.  We  shall,  therefore,  pass  them  by,  and  shall  com- 
mend our  readers  to  a  study  of  this  great  wonderwork 
from  the  pine-clad  verge  of  the  Grand  Caiion  itself. 

Back  perhaps  a  quarter  of  a  mile  from  Inspiration 
Point,  but  within  fifty  yards  of  the  brink  of  the  cafion, 
is  a  huge  rectangular  block  of  granite*  which  rests  alone 
in  the  woods,  a  most  singular  and  striking  object.  It  is 
evidently  an  intruder  in  unfamiliar  territory,  for  there  is 
not  a  particle  of  granite  outcrop  known  to  exist  ,within 
twenty  miles.  It  must  have  been  transported  to  this  place 
from  some  distant  quarry  by  the  powerful  agencies  of  the 
Glacial  Epoch. 

Flight  Banlv  of  tlte  Canon.     Half  a  mile  above  the  Upper 


•  Approximately  24'  x  20'  x  18'  high. 


Upper  Falls  of  the  Yellowstone. 


Lower  Falls  through  Eain  ;Mist. 


A  TOUR  OF  THE  PARK.  321 

Fall  is  a  concrete  steel  bridge,  of  the  design  knoA\Ti  as  the 
Mclan  Arch,  spanning  the  Yellowstone  River  and  giving 
access  to  the  right  bank.  The  arch  has  a  span  of  120  feet, 
one  of  the  longest  of  the  kind  yet  built.  From  this  bridge  a 
road  leads  down  the  canon  as  far  as  Artist  Point,  from 
which  Thomas  Moran  drew  his  inspiration  for  the  cele- 
brated painting  which  now  adorns  the  Capitol  at  Wash- 
ington. 

This  road  affords  the  best  possible  view  to  be  had  of  the 
Upper  Falls,  and  leads  to  the  head  of  a  long  stainvay  by 
which  a  safe  descent  can  be  made  to  the  bottom  of  the 
canon  at  the  foot  of  the  Lower  Falls.  This  is  a  side  ex- 
cursion well  worth  taking,  though  a  rather  laborious  one. 
The  view  from  below  is  very  impressive  and  the  proximity 
to  the  falls  gives  one  a  sense  of  the  terrible  power  of  this 
great  cataract,  wliich  can  not  be  realized  when  seen  from  a 
distance.  Fortunately,  the  prevailing  breeze  wafts  the 
cloud  of  spray  toward  the  left  bank  of  the  river  and  leaves 
the  point  at  which  the  observer  stands  comparatively 
unobscured. 

The  guide  who  conducts  tourists  through  this  part  of 
their  wanderings,  has  an  extremely  interesting  surprise  to 
which  he  treats  every  one — a  surprise  quite  in  harmony 
«'ith  the  general  character  of  the  surroundings.  Taking  his 
protege  to  the  river's  edge  he  asks  him  to  reach  down  and 
dig  with  his  fingers  into  the  sandy  bottom.  Obeying  in- 
structions, the  startled  tourist  suddenly  jerks  his  hand  out 
as  if  from  a  bed  of  slumbering  coals.  In  fact,  the  bottom 
of  the  river  is  a  mass  of  boiling  springs.  The  cold  water 
flowing  above  obscures  their  presence  and  but  for  an  acci- 
dental discovery  they  might  have  remained  unknown  in- 
definitely. 


322  THE    YELLOWSTONE    NATIONAL    PARK. 

To  the  eastward  of  the  Grand  Canon  are  several  inter- 
esting hot  springs  areas,  and  there  is  one  notable  group  at 
the  southern  base  of  Mt.  Washburn.  Tt  resembles  in  some 
degree  Mud  Geyser  and  is  considered  by  many  as  excelling 
that  feature  in  interest.  Tt  is  to  one  of  the  features  in 
this  locality  that  the  name  Devil's  Inkstand  applies. 


CHAPTER   XIX. 

A  TOUR  OF  THE  PARK. 

Grand  Canon  to  Tower  Falls. 

Distance  twenty  miles.  The  tourist,  after  leaving  the 
Grand  Canon,  enters  upon  the  true  scenic  portion  of  the 
route.  Hitherto  he  has  been  absorbed  with  those  peculiar 
phenomena  on  which  the  fame  of  the  Park  chiefly  depends. 
He  has  doubtless  often  expressed  his  surprise  that  one  can 
travel  so  far  in  the  very  heart  of  the  Eocky  ^lountains  and 
see  so  little  near  at  hand  of  the  rugged  grandeur  whicli 
is  associated  in  his  mind  with  the  scenery  of  those  moun- 
tains. The  ride  over  Mt.  ^Yashburn  will  satisfy  any  rea- 
sonable expectation  he  may  have  in  this  regard. 

For  three  miles  after  leaving  the  hotel  the  road  extends 
across  a  rolling  forested  country  and  reaches  the  base  of 
the  mountain  at  the  crossing  of  the  east  fork  of  Cascade 
Creek.  Here  the  ascent  begins,  and  here  begins  also  that 
marvelous  development  of  scenery  which  perhaps  has  no 
parallel  on  any  other  highway  in  the  world.  In  the  course 
of  a  mile  or  so  the  road  rises  above  the  dense  forests  on  the 
right  and  the  broad  champaign  to  the  south  unfolds  itself 
to  tlie  view  with  the  distant  peaks  of  Sheridan  and  the 
Tetons  and  of  the  Absaroka  Eange  defining  tlie  limit  of 
vision.  Winding  in  and  out  of  deep  ravines,  and  over  a 
high  spur  of  Dunraven  Peak  everywhere  among  grassy 
elopes  or  scattered  growths  of  evergreen  where  the  wild 
game  find  ideal  pasturage,  the  labor  of  ascent  is  almost  for- 
gotten in  the  constant  attraction  of  the  surroundings. 
There  is  no  need  to  look  far  away  to  see  the  beauty  of 


324  THE    YELLOWSTONE    NATIONAL    PARK. 

nature.  It  is  spread  in  extravagant  profusion  all  around. 
The  forest  growths  exhibit  that  superb  regularity  of  form 
and  richness  of  color  that  characterize  the  spruce  and  fir 
in  the  higher  altitudes.  The  mountain  side  is  one  vast 
flower  garden,  where  the  columbine,  larkspur,  paintbrush 
and  kindred  blossoms  give  a  rich  tone  to  the  green  forest 
glades. 

At  a  point  where  the  road  rises  a  hundred  feet  or  more 
to  avoid  an  extensive  marshy  tract,  Yellowstone  Lake 
comes  into  view,  but  it  is  lost  again  as  the  road  descends 
into 

-  Dunraven  Pass  (7  miles).  This  crossing  leads  from  the 
south  to  the  north  slope  of  the  AVashbum  Eange  and  carries 
the  tourist  to  the  headwaters  of  Tower  Creek,  or  its  eastern 
tributary,  Carnelian  Creek  It  is  a  very  practicable  moun- 
tain pass,  as  unlike  Sylvan  Pass  as  are  the  rocky  walls  of 
the  Grand  Canon  to  the  grassy  slopes  of  Hayden  Valley. 
It  required  no  heavy  draft  upon  the  skill  of  the  engineer 
to  select  it  as  the  best  crossing  of  the  range. 

At  Dunraven  Pass  the  road  divides.  The  low  line  passes 
directly  through  and  skirts  the  steep  western  slope  of 
Washburn  on  a  nearly  level  grade  until  it  reaches  the 
crest  of  a  long  spur,  locally  known  as  the  "hog  back/'  the 
great  northern  buttress  to  the  mountain,  and  nature's  well 
made  stairway  to  the  summit  from  that  side.  This  lower 
route  gives  a  short  cut  for  travelers  who  do  not  ca.re  to 
pass  over  the  mountain. 

To  enable  visitors  to  reach  the  top  of  the  mountain,  a 
side  road,  or  ^%op,"  branches  off  from  the  main  line  in 
the  Pass,  climbs  up  the  southwest  slope  to  the  summit,  and 
descends  along  the  crest  of  the  spur  on  the  north  until 
it  joins  the  main  line. 

The  development  of  the  scenery  as  the  road  ascends  the 


Gkaxite  Bouldek,  near  inspiration  Point. 


A   TOUR  OF  THE  PARK.  325 

mountain  from  Dunraven  Pass  to  the  summit  (3  miles), 
constitutes  one  of  the  most  interesting  features  of  the  en- 
tire Park  tour.  As  the  steep  grade  carries  the  tourist  rap- 
idly into  a  higher  altitude,  new  objects  of  interest  come 
into  view  in  all  directions  far  and  near.  Again  the  silver 
surface  of  Yellowstone  Lake  stands  out  in  its  dark  forest 
environment  and  the  winding  course  of  the  Yellowstone  can 
be  traced  nearly  to  the  head  of  the  rapids.  The  main  view 
on  the  first  portion  of  the  climb  lies  to  the  southwest  with 
Mt.  Sheridan  and  the  Tetons  the  most  conspicuous  objects. 
A  great  rift  in  the  earth's  surface  in  the  near-  fore- 
ground shows  where  the  Grand  Canon  lies,  and  clouds  of 
vapor,  seen  under  favorable  conditions,  indicate  the  local- 
ities of  the  falls. 

After  an  ascent  of  about  a  mile  the  road  crosses  a  bald 
ridge — the  south  spur  of  the  mountain — and  brings  at  once 
into  view  the  whole  southern  half  of  the  Absaroka  Eange. 
The  rugged  peaks  that  bound  the  eastern  horizon,  the  forest 
covered  areas  nearer  by,  the  central  portion  of  the  Grand 
Canon  and  the  green,  grassy  parks  along  the  base  and  sides 
of  the  mountain,  almost  at  the  feet  of  the  tourist,  are 
among  the  new  attractions  which  the  road  unfolds  to  liis 
view. 

A  short  drive  along  the  crest  of  the  ridge  toward  the 
Washburn  summit,  leads  to  a  depression  or  "saddle"  be- 
tween the  main  mountain  and  a  prominent  peak  between 
it  and  Dunraven  Pass.  Here  again  the  view  changes  com- 
pletely, and  the  tourist  now  looks  out  upon  an  entirely  new 
landscape  spread  over  the  northwestern  portion  of  the 
Park.  The  Gallatin  Eange,  with  Electric,  Sepulcher  and 
Bunsen  Peaks,  and  even  Cinnabar  Mountain  and  the 
"Devil's  Slide,"  are  distinctly  visible  if  the  air  be  clear. 
In  the  nearer  foreground  is  the  vast  amphitheater  which 


326  TItE    YELLOWSTONE    NATIONAL    PARK. 

comprises  the  watershed  of  Tower  Creek  and  its  tribu- 
taries, one  of  the  most  magnificent  forest  scenes  to  be 
found  in  the  mountains.  To  the  north  are  the  serried 
peaks  of  the  snowy  range  beyond  the  border  of  the  Park, 
and  on  the  hither  side  of  the  boundary  are  Crescent  and 
Garnet  Hills,  familiar  landmarks  near  the  beautiful  spot 
which  will  probably  always  bear  the  name  of  John  Yancey. 

This  noble  landscape  grows  and  expands  as  the  road 
zigzags  for  a  mile  up  the  western  slope  of  the  mountain. 
The  road  is  itself  an  object  of  interest  here,  from  the  great 
difficulty  of  construction  and  the  dangerous  situations 
through  which  it  passes.  It  leads  to  the  crest  of  a  rocky 
ridge  that  juts  out  directly  south  from  the  main  summit 
and  is  so  broken  and  wild  that  it  might  well  appall  an  en- 
gineer who  should  seek  to  find  a  passage  through  it.  But 
the  passage  was  found  and  the  road  built,  and  after  break- 
ing through  a  comb  of  rock  leads  to  another  "saddle" 
between  the  Washburn  summit  and  a  slightly  lower  one 
directly  to  the  east. 

Again  the  scene  shifts  completely  and  the  tourist  looks 
out  upon  the  country  around  the  northeast  corner  of  the 
Park,  where  lies  one  of  the  most  rugged  mountain  masses  in 
the  United  States.  Scores  of  giant  peaks  stand  silhouetted 
against  the  sky,  among  them  Index  and  Pilot,  well-kno^^^l 
landmarks  in  all  that  region.  In  the  nearer  foreground  is 
the  valley  of  Lamar  River  with  its  large  tributaries  gash- 
ing the  great  ranges  to  the  north,  while  close  in  at  the  base 
of  the  mountain,  is  the  lower  portion  of  the  Grand  Canon 
of  the  Yellowstone  The  entire  mountain  side  below  is  a 
variegated  landscape  where  dense  forests,  open  evergreen 
groves,  rolling  grassy  hills,  and  green  patches  of  the 
quaking  aspen,  vie  with  each  other  in  composing  a  scene 
of  transcendent  beauty  and  interest. 


A   TOUR  OF  THE  PARK.  327 

Now  follows  a  short,  spiral  climb,  which  soon  terminates 
at  the  summit  of  j\lt.  Washburn  (10  miles),  where  the  suc- 
cessive scenes  which  we  have  attempted  to  describe  stand 
forth  in  one  all-embracing  j^anorama,  the  like  of  which  can 
hardly  be  found  elsewhere  upon  the  accessible  portions  of 
the  globe.  It  is  idle  to  undertake  a  description  of  this 
wonderful  panorama — it  includes  too  much  and  assumes 
too  many  changes  in  the  course  of  even  a  single  day.  It  is 
one  thing  in  the  morning,  another  in  the  evening;  beau- 
tiful in  the  brilliant  sunlight  of  this  region,  and  entrancing 
in  the  wild  tempests  that  have  beaten  upon  its  scarred  face 
for  ages ;  but  always,  and  in  whatever  guise,  it  is  sublime. 

The  one  drawback  to  the  pleasure  of  visiting  Mt.  Wash- 
burn is  the  heavy  Tvdnd  that  generally  prevails  there.  One 
has  but  to  see  the  tempest-torn  trees  that  grow  on  its 
slopes  with  a  permanent  list  to  the  northeast  to  understand 
the  power  of  these  winds  and  their  prevailing  direction. 
The  government  has  ameliorated  this  condition  as  far  as 
possible  by  erecting  a  suitable  shelter  on  the  summit  from 
which  the  landscape  can  be  viewed  in  comparative  com- 
fort. It  is  always  desirable  to  make  the  ascent  early  in  the 
day,  as  the  wind  does  not  generally  reach  its  full  force 
until  about  noon. 

Mt.  A\^ashburn  is  the  most  celebrated  peak  in  the  Park, 
and  the  first  to  receive  its  present  name.  Its  prominence 
justifies  its  notoriety,  but  the  real  cause  of  it  is  the  fact 
that  for  eight  years  the  main  tourist  route  lay  across  it. 
From  its  summit  the  Washburn  party  received  the  first 
definite  confirmation  of  the  truth  of  the  rumors  that  led 
them  into  this  region.  All  reports  and  magazine  articles 
A^•hich  first  gave  a  knowledge  of  the  Park  to  the  world  were 
written  by  persons  who  had  crossed  this  mountain.  As  the 
view  from  its  summit  is  comprehensive  and  grand,  cove?- 


828  TILE    YELLOAYSTOXE    NATIONAL    PARK. 

ing  almost  the  entire  Park,  it  of  course  figured  prominent- 
ly in  all  narratives.  Visitors  fell  into  the  custom  estab- 
lished by  the  first  explorers,  of  leaving  their  cards  in  a 
receptacle  for  the  purpose  on  the  summit.  Many  eminent 
names  are  to  be  seen  there.  It  is  a  matter  of  congratula- 
tion that  the  progress  upon  the  road  system  has  restored 
this  mountain  to  its  former  place  in  the  tourist  route. 

Here,  on  the  summit  of  this  great  mountain,  the  visitor 
may  profitably  exercise  whatever  imagination  nature  has 
given  him  and  picture  in  his  mind  the  eventful  history  of 
the  country  embraced  within  the  scope  of  his  vision.  For 
this  was  the  central  point  in  the  building  up  of  the  Park. 
Let  him  go  back  to  those  primal  times  when  everywhere 
beneath  and  around  him  were  the  rolling  waves  of  the  sea, 
except  that  far  on  the  horizon  in  various  directions  the  sk^' 
line  denoted  elevations  above  the  surface  of  the  water. 
These  were  the  first  land,  but  where  the  park  now  is  none 
had  yet  appeared. 

Then  comes  a  time  when  the  earth's  crust  is  pushed 
upward;  the  water  slides  off  the  land  and  the  space  of  tlie 
ocean  is  reduced.  The  plastic  crust  is  creased  and  folded 
and  great  mountains  are  formed,  among  them  doubtless 
the  one  on  which  we  are  standing.  The  Park  becomes  dry 
land — a  great  basin  surrounded  by  lofty  hills. 

The  forces  of  life  assert  themselves;  vegetation  springs 
up;  rivers  flow  down  to  the  sea,  and  the  sun  daily  illum- 
ines a  world  rejoicing  in  the  beauty  of  growth. 

Then  comes  a  reign  of  terror,  for  the  very  earth  bursts 
forth  with  fire  and  ashes  until  the  sun  is  hid  and  the  world 
is  shrouded  in  daxkness.  The  giant  trees  are  overwhelmed, 
broken  down  and  buried  deep  in  the  lifeless  mass.  The  val- 
leys are  filled  up,  new  mountains  are  built,  and  the  face 
of  nature  is  radically  changed.     The  vast  amphitheater  at 


A  TOUR  OF  THE  PARK.  329 

the  feet  of  the  visitor,  as  he  stands  facing  westward,  is  one 
of  the  centers  of  these  volcanic  tempests. 

After  a  time  the  fires  cease,  and  nature,  ever  quick  to 
respond,  puts  forth  again  tree  and  flower,  and  a  new  world 
arises  on  the  ruins  of  the  old.  Again  the  crater  breaks 
forth;  terror  and  desolation  reign,  and  the  beauty  of  life 
is  smitten  in  dust  and  ashes. 

So  it  continues  for  countless  centuries  until  the  fury  of 
the  volcano  is  spent  and  its  dominion  comes  to  an  end;  and 
until  the  vast  basin,  which  was  formed  when  the  land  arose 
from  the  sea,  is  filled  with  the  debris  cast  forth  from  the 
earth^s  interior. 

And  now  a  marvelous  transformation  ensues.  Heat  is 
followed  by  cold,  fire  gives  way  to  snow,  and  the  reign  of 
lava  is  succeeded  by  the  reign  of  ice.  The  sky  is  again  ob- 
scured, no  longer  with  smoke  and  ashes,  but  with  silvery 
enow,  which  falls  until  it  enrobes  the  earth  in  a  mantle  of 
ice  as  deep  as  the  lava  beneath  it.  Yielding  to  its  weight, 
it  slides  with  infinite  procrastination  do^Mi  the  slopes,  carv- 
ing out  new  valleys  and  canons,  scoring  the  rocky  hillsides, 
breaking  off  boulders,  rounding  and  polishing  them  like 
marbles,  and  moulding  the  landscape  into  new  forms. 

At  last  the  ice  king  is  shorn  of  his  power,  the  glaciers 
melt  and  drop  their  burden  of  rocks  and  del^ris;  the  sun 
resumes  its  sway  and  life  begins  again.  Then  for  the  first 
time  the  country  around  this  mountain  looked  somewhat 
as  it  does  to-day,  though  to  the  south  it  was  very  different. 
The  waves  of  Yellowstone  Lake  Avashed  its  base,  and  the 
Canon  and  Falls  did  not  exist.  Presently  some  change 
occurs  and  the  waters  commence  flowing  north.  They  cut 
into  the  soft,  decomposed  rock,  and  year  after  year  dig 
■  deeper  into  the  color-laden  earth,  until  they  form  the  vast 
chasm  that  half  way  encircles  the  mountain. 
(14*) 


330  T]TE    YELLOWSTOXE    NATIOXAL    PARK. 

From  the  passing  of  the  ice  age,  on  through  periods  of 
time  which  we  can  not  measure;,  the  Park  grows  to  its 
present  form.  The  pent-up  but  not  extinguished  fires 
cover  the  face  of  the  country  with  geysers  and  springs  and 
strange  suggestions  of  the  nether  world.  But  the  milder 
forces  of  nature  are  also  doing  their  work.  The  hillsides 
are  clothed  with  forests  and  flowers.  New  forms  of  life 
arise  and  the  stately  elk  and  gentle  deer  are  seen  among 
the  trees.  Then  man  appears — aboriginal  man — few  in 
numbers,  and  armed  with  the  crude  weapons  of  a  primitive 
age. 

Time  rolls  on  and  at  length  there  comes  a  man  of  dif- 
ferent skin  and  costume,  wending  his  solitary  way  across 
this  mighty  wilderness.  One  standing  on  this  summit  might 
have  seen  him  clambering  up  its  southern  face,  a  "thirty 
pound  pack''  on  his  back,  perhaps  coming  to  this  very 
point  to  study  his  surroundings,  and  then  disappearing  to 
the  northward  not  to  be  seen  again.  It  was  the  coming  of 
the  white  man. 

Others  follow  in  his  train,  in  hunter  garb,  and  for  many 
years  roam  over  the  country  like  the  Indians  who  came  be- 
fore them.  At  last  a  larger  company  appear,  hunters,  not 
after  the  game  of  the  forest,  but  the  wonders  of  nature  of 
which  they  had  heard  strange  reports.  They  climb  this 
mountain,  give  it  a  name,  and  go  their  way.  Others  in 
ever  increasing  number  follow,  and  at  last  come  pick  and 
spade  and  dynamite,  and  a  roadway  is  carved  up  the  rocky 
slopes  to  this  very  summit,  that  man  may  come  here, 
through  all  future  time,  and  study  the  handiwork  of  na- 
ture as  it  lies  outspread  before  him  from  the  summit  of  Mt. 
Washburn. 

The  long  ride  down  the  northern  slope  of  the  mountain 
ia  full  of  general  interest,  although  there  are  no  notable 


A  TOUn  OF  THE  PARK.  331 

features  immediately  on  the  route.  It  follows  the  long 
spur  already  mentioned  as  the  great  northern  support  of 
the  mountain  and  the  natural  line  of  ascent  to  its  summit. 
The  road  is  first  on  one  side  of  the  crest  and  then  on  the 
other,  and  the  scene  is  thus  constantly  shifting  and  al- 
ways with  renewed  interest.  It  hnally  plunges  into  a  dense 
forest  along  the  lower  course  of  Tower  Creel:,  and  after 
many  curves  and  windings  in  getting  down  from  a  lofty 
bench,  reaches  the  picturesque  situation  in  the  vicinity  of 

Tower  Falls  (20  miles). — This  waterfall  is  the  most 
beautiful  in  the  Park,  if  one  takes  into  consideration  all  its 
surroundings.  The  fall  itself  is  very  graceful  in  form. 
The  deep  cavernous  basin  into  which  it  pours  itself  is  lined 
with  shapely  evergreen  trees,  so  that  the  fall  is  partially 
screened  from  view.  Above  it  stand  those  peculiar  forms  of 
rock  characteristic  of  that  locality — detached  pinnacles  or 
towers  which  gave  rise  to  the  name.  The  lapse  of  more 
than  thirty  years  since  Lieutenant  Doane  saw  these  fa'.ls, 
has  given  us  nothing  descriptive  of  them  that  can  compare 
with  the  simple  words  of  his  report  penned  upon  the  first 
inspiration  of  a  new  discovery: 

"Nothing  can  be  more  chastely  beautiful  than  this  lovely 
cascade,  hidden  away  in  the  dim  light  of  overshadowing 
rocks  and  woods,  its  very  voice  hushed  to  a  low  murmur, 
unheard  at  the  distance  of  a  few  hundred  yards.  Thou- 
sands might  pass  by  within  half  a  mile  and  not  dream  of 
its  existence;  but  once  seen,  it  passes  to  the  list  of  mos': 
pleasant  memories.^' 

The  portion  of  the  Park  to  which  the  tourist  has  now 
arrived  is  the  most  desirable  of  all  in  which  to  spend  a 
season  of  rest  and  recuperation.  It  is  full  of  attractions 
for  the  lover  of  nature  and  the  scientific  inquirjr. 
The  scenery  in  the  immediate  vicinity  of  the  falls  and  For 


332  THE    YELLOWSTOXE    NATIONAL    PARK. 

two  niiles  below,  is  very  different  from  anything  else  in 
the  Park  and  is  not  surpassed  anywhere  for  variety  and 
beauty.  It  is  the  lower  end  of  the  Grand  Canon,  but  its 
character  is  very  different  from  that  farther  up.  The  gorge 
is  about  500  feet  deep,  mth  nearly  vertical  sides,  and  the 
green  waters  of  the  river,  run  through  it  as  in  the  bottom 
of  a  trough,  flecked  evers^where  with  white  patches  which 
show  how  rapidly  it  flows.  Along  the  sides  of  the  caiion 
well  up  toward  the  brink  are  fine  examples  of  columnar 
basalt  walls,  so  regular  in  outline  that  they  look  like  great 
stone  fences  erected  there  by  the  hand  of  man.  The  pecu- 
liar towers  or  pinnacles  to  which  we  have  already  referred, 
occur  all  along  this  stretch  of  the  river,  and  one  of  them 
is  probably  the  most  remarkable  feature  of  its  kind  in  the 
world.  It  rises  from  the  bottom  of  the  canon  close  to  the 
edge  of  the  water  on  the  left  bank  to  a  height  of  fully  300 
feet  above  the  water  surface.  It  is  locally  called  the 
Needle.  It  was  seen  by  Folsom  in  18(19,  and  then  forgotten 
until  it  was  rediscovered  a  few  years  ago.  It  stands  like  a 
solitary  watch  tower  to  guard  the  lower  entrance  to  the 
Grand  Canon,  and  will  henceforth  remain  one  of  the  rare 
wonders  of  the  Park. 

All  along  this  stretch  of  the  river  are  abundant  evi- 
dences of  internal  heat.  There  are  a  great  many  small 
springs  and  steam  vents,  and  the  odor  of  sulphur  is  very 
apparent.  About  two  miles  below  Tower  Creek,  just  to  the 
left  of  the  road,  in  an  open  space  covered  with  hot  springs 
deposit,  is  a  spring  which  has  been  used  for  bathing  pur- 
poses for  more  than  thirty  years. 

Just  above  the  mouth  of  Tower  Creek  is  the  old  Ban- 
nock Ford  over  the  Yellowstone,  a  crossing  of  immemo- 
rial antiquity,  and  the  same  that  was  used  by  Colter  in 
1807. 


.5»«a 

Mi. 

J^ 

1 

*-* 

Tower  Falls. 


A  TOUR  OF  THE  PARK.  333 

Junction  Butte  is  on  the  right  bank  of  the  Yellowstone, 
in  the  angle  between  that  stream  and  the  East  Fork.  It 
stands  not  only  near  one  of  the  most  important  stream 
junctions  in  the  Park,  but  also  near  a  not  less  important 
road  junction.  It  is  a  very  striking  object.  Its  summit  is 
nearly  flat,  and  its  sides  near  the  summit  are  perpendicular. 
Below  this  is  a  steep  slope  composed  of  enormous  masses  of 
finely  broken  stone  disengaged  from  the  cliff  by  the  force  of 
the  elements.  It  is  a  fitting  landmark  for  its  important 
situation. 

Baronett  Bridge,  which  crossed  the  Yellowstone  just 
opposite  Junction  Butte,  was  the  first  bridge  ever  built 
over  that  river  in  any  part  of  its  course.  It  was  built  by 
the  well-known  mountaineer,  C.  J.  Baronett,  in  the  spring 
of  1871,  for  the  convenience  of  Clark's  Fork  miners.  It 
was  partially  destroyed  by  the  Xez  Perces  in  187 T,  but  was 
repaired  by  Howard's  command,  and  still  further  repaired 
the  following  year  by  Baronett  and  Morris.  It  was  re- 
placed in  1880  by  a  more  substantial  structure,  and  this 
itself  has  been  replaced  by  a  steel  bridge  located  a  half 
mile  further  up  stream. 

''Yancey's"  or  Pleasant  Valley,  is  the  name  of  a  beautiful 
spot  in  which  a  long  familiar  character  in  Park  history, 
*'Uncle"  John  Yancey,  dwelt  for  many  years,  and  kept  a 
rude  lodging  place  for  the  convenience  of  visitors  to  that 
part  of  the  Park. 

Lost  Creeh  Canon  and  Falh,  hidden  in  the  forest  a  half 
mile  back  from  the  road  as  it  crosses  the  plains  near  the 
old  bathing  spring,  is  well  worthy  of  a  visit.  It  reminds 
one  somewhat  of  the  falls  of  Minnehaha.  The  formation  of 
the  walls  is  very  unusual,  and  the  water  pours  over  the 
brink  in  a  light  spray  wliich  forms,  with  the  surrounding 
verdure,  a  scene  of  quiet  beauty  rarely  found  in  so  wild 


334  THE    YFLLOWSTOXE    NATIONAL    PARK. 

and  rough  a  couutr}'.  It  is  a  spot  which  the  visitor  can  not 
leave  without  an  involuntary  feeling  of  regret.  Near  the 
outlet  of  the  caiion  ia  one  of  the  ideal  camping  grounds 
of  the  Park,  which  has  been  utilized  l)y  hundreds  of  visitors. 
With  it  are  associated  some  of  the  most  pleasant  memories 
in  the  tourist  history  of  this  region. 

The  Petrified  Trees,  two  weather-scarred  stubs,  ancient 
monuments  of  a  once  more  active  period  of  vegetable 
growth  in  this  region,  will  gratify  the  curiosity  of  the 
tourist  who  has  not  time  to  visit  the  more  extensive  region 
of  petrifactions  further  east.  They  are  located  on  the  side 
of  a  ravine,  a  quarter  of  a  mile  to  the  left  of  the  road  and 
about  four  miles  from  Tower  Falls. 

An  extensive  region  full  of  interesting  features,  in  which 
one  can  profitably  spend  months  of  study  and  research,  is 
the  valley  of  Lamar  Eiver  and  its  tributaries.  In  many 
respects  this  is  the  most  interesting  section  of  the  Park.  It 
is  the  largest  treeless  tract  on  the  Eeservation,  and  is  the 
great  winter  pasture  of  the  elk,  which  gather  here  in 
thousands  as  soon  as  the  fall  snows  come.  In  the  summer 
it  is  the  chief  grazing  ground  of  the  antelope. 

Amethyst  Mountain,  Specimen  Ridge  and  the  Fossil 
Forests  are  names  at  once  suggestive  of  the  action  of  geo- 
logical agencies  which  have  been  described  in  another 
chapter.  Amethyst,  limpid  quartz,  milky  quartz,  chalce- 
dony, carnelian,  prase,  chrj^soprase,  banded  agate,  flint, 
jaspers  of  all  colors,  semiopal,  calcite,  and  many  other 
varieties  abound.  The  forest  petrifications  present  one  of 
the  most  interesting  scientific  problems  in  the  Park. 

The  Lamar  River  Canon  (7  miles  above  Junction  Butte) 
is  a  gorge  about  half  a  mile  long,  the  chief  characteristic 
of  which  is  the  enormous  number  and  size  of  boulders 
that  have  fallen  into  it.    Some  of  them  are  almost  spherical 


A  TOUJ{  OF  THE  TAllK.  335 

in  shape,  and  are  as  smooth  as  if  from  the  hand  of  a  stone 
glazer.  They  are  piled  up  like  billiard  balls,  to  such  a 
depth  that  in  some  places  the  stream  at  low  water  flows 
entirely  out  of  sight  beneath  them. 

Amethyst  Falls  is  a  pretty  cascade  near  where  a  small 
stream  of  the  same  name  empties  into  Lamar  River. 

Soda  Butte  (15  miles  above  Junction  Butte)  and  Soda 
Butte  Canon  are  worthy  of  much  attention.  The  caiion  in 
particular  is  as  wonderful  a  bit  of  scenery  as  any  mountains 
afford.  It  is  everywhere  rugged,  majestic  and  imposing, 
and  there  is  no  point  in  its  twelve  miles'  length,  that  does 
not  present  a  landscape  deserving  of  the  tourist's  careful 
study. 

Trout  Lake,  on  a  tributary  of  Soda  Butte  Creek,  is  one 
of  the  gems  of  these  mountains,  and  as  its  name  implies, 
an  ideal  fishing  resort. 

Cooke  City  is  a  small  mining  camp  located  on  the  north- 
east border  of  the  Park.  It  is  older  than  the  Park  itself, 
having  been  established  in  1870. 

Death  Gulch,  a  side  ravine  in  the  valley  of  Cache  Creek, 
first  tributary  of  Lamar  River  above  Soda  Butte  Creek, 
is  a  spot  about  which  there  hangs  a  great  deal  of  mystery. 
It  is  claimed  by  reputable  authorities,  on  the  strength  of 
personal  observation,  that  it  emits  a  deadly  gas,  and  that 
animals,  even  of  the  larger  species,  have  be^n  found  dead 
there  in  considerable  numbers.  The  truth  of  these  state- 
ments has  been  strenuously  denied  by  others.  The  writer 
himself  once  visited  the  spot  for  the  express  purpose  of 
settling  the  question  in  his  own  mind,  and  was  unable  to 
find  any  evidence  of  the  gas  or  of  any  animals  killed  by 
it.  The  slope  of  the  ravine  is  such  that  the  accumulation 
of  a  heavy  gas  is  impossible,  unless  dammed  up  by  snow 
drifts  in  winter.    WTiile  the  positive  statements  of  reputa- 


336  THE    YELLOWSTONE    NATIONAL    PARK. 

ble  obseryers  can  not  easily  be  set  aside,  it  is  remarkable 
that  all  the  evidence  which  they  claim  to  have  \vitnessed 
should  disappear  so  quickly  and  so  completel}".  Take  it  all 
in  all,  Death  Gulch  is  one  of  the  mysteries  of  the  Park  still 
awaiting  solution. 

Tlie  Hoodoo  Begion,  near  the  head  of  Miller  Creek,  be- 
yond the  east  boundary  of  the  Park,  furnishes  probably 
the  most  striking  example  in  existence  of  the  effects  of  ero- 
sion and  wind  action  upon  masses  of  moderately  soft  rock. 
The  region  was  discovered  by  miners  in  1870,  but  was  first 
explored  and  reported  upon  by  Colonel  Xorris  in  1880, 
who  thus  describes  it:* 

"Xearly  every  form,  animate  or  inanimate,  real  or 
chimerical,  ever  actually  seen  or  conjured  by  the  imagina- 
tion, may  here  be  observed.  Language  does  not  suffice  to 
describe  these  peculiar  formations;  sketches  may  probably 
do  something,  and  photographs  more,  to  convey  a  concep- 
tion of  their  remarkable  character,  but  actual  observation  is 
necessary  to  adequately  impress  the  mind  with  the  wild, 
unearthly  appearance  of  these  eroded  Hoodoos  of  the  Goblin 
Land.  These  monuments  are  from  fifty  to  two  or  three 
hundred  feet  in  height,  with  narrow,  tortuous  passages 
between  them,  which  sometimes  are  tunnels  through  perma- 
nent snow  or  ice  fields,  where  the  Bighorn  sheep  hide  in 
safety;  while  the  ceaseless  but  ever  changing  moans  of  the 
wild  winds  seem  to  chant  fitting  requiems  to  these  gnome- 
like monuments  of  the  legendary'  Indian  gods." 

Prom  Tower  Falls  to  Mammoth  Hot  Springs  (22  miles) 
the  route  presents  nothing  of  unusual  interest,  although 
tlie  scener}'  is  everywhere  of  a  pleasing  and  satisfactory 
character.    The  road  first  climbs  the  long  hill  above  Yan- 


•  Pa^e  8,  Annual  Report,  Superintendent  of  the  Park,  for 
the  year  1880. 


A   TOUR   OF  THE  PARK.  337 

cey's,  four  miles,  much  of  the  way  in  dense  forests,  and 
finally  emerges  at  the  summit  in  a  deep  gorge  through  the 
hills  called  the  Crescent  Hill  Canon.  Immediately  upon 
leaving  this  ravine  the  road  passes  over  a  little  ridge  from 
which  the  tourist  has  an  unobstructed  view  of  Electric  and 
Bunsen  Peaks,  Mt.  Everts,  Terrace  ^tountain  and  the 
roadway  leading  up  from  Mammoth  Hot  Springs,  by 
which  he  started  on  his  tour  a  few  days  before.  To  the 
right  lies  the  Valley  of  the  Yellowstone,  the  stream  flowing 
out  of  sight  fully  1,500  feet  below  him.  The  slopes  of  the 
mountain  on  the  farther  shore,  seamed  with  the  valleys  of 
numerous  tributaries,  dotted  here  and  there  with  groves  of 
quaking  aspen,  but  generally  open  and  free  of  forest 
growths,  compose  a  landscape  which  never  fails  to  call  forth 
expressions  of  delight  from  those  who  see  it  for  the  first 
time. 

The  Tliird  Carton  of  the  Yellowstone  (the  third  above 
the  Great  Bend  at  Livingston,  the  Grand  Canon  being  the 
fourth)  begins  near  the  mouth  of  Blacktail  Deer  Creek  and 
continues  to  the  north  boundary.  It  is  rarely  visited  by 
tourists  on  account  of  its  inaccessibility,  but  it  is  well 
worth  seeing  as  an  example  on  a  large  scale  of  the  grandeur 
and  power  of  the  forces  of  nature  that  have  thus  carved  a 
way  for  the  river  through  the  very  heart  of  the  mountains. 

From  the  exit  from  Crescent  Hill  Canon  the  road  de- 
scends by  a  gentle  grade  all  the  way  to  the  high  bridge 
over  the  Gardiner,  and  a  quick  drive  of  an  hour  and  a 
half  brings  the  visitor  to  ]\rammoth  Hot  Springs,  whore 
his  Park  tour  and  our  present  labors  end  together. 


(IS) 


APPENDIX. 


MAP  INDEX. 


The  following  list  contains  all  the  geographical  names 
in  the  Park,  with  marginal  references  to  aid  in  locatin.iz 
them  upon  the  map. 

MOUNTAIN    RANGES^    PEAKS^   BIJTTES,   El  DOES,    HILLS. 

[The  numbers  in  the  third  column  denote  elevations. 
These  are  taken  from  the  latest  map  by  the  United  States 
Geological  Survey,  and  are  the  same  as  that  of  the  one  nun 
dred  foot  contour  nearest  the  summit.  The  true  elevation 
of  the  ultimate  peak  is  in  each  case  slightly  greater,  lying 
between  the  figure  given  and  an  altitude  one  hundred  feet 
higher.] 


Name. 

Map 
Reference. 

Am- 

Uule. 

^^«-^-                    EefSll'ce. 

Alft- 

tUdr'. 

Ahiathar  Peak.., 

...C  :14.. 

.10,800 

Crow  Foot  Ridge. D-E  :  5. . 

.   9.700 

Absaroka  Range. 

,A-X  :  12-lG 

Doano,    Mt M  :  13.  . 

.lu.r.oi) 

Amethyst  Mtu... 

,..F  :11.. 

.   9,423 

Druid  Peak D  :  12.. 

.  9.t-.oo 

Aiitler   Peak 

....E  :4.. 

.10.200 

Dunraven  Peak F  :  9. . 

.   9.700 

Atkins  Peak 

..N  :14.. 

.10.900 

Eagle  Peak O  :  14. . 

.  lO.SO ) 

Avalanche   Peak. 

,  ..L  :18.. 

.10.500 

Echo  Peak E  :  4.. 

.  o.coo 

Bannock  Peak. .. 

...D  :4.. 

.10.400 

Electric   Peak B  :  4-5.  . 

.11,155 

Barlow   Peak 

..Q  :  10.. 

.   9.. -.00 

Elephant  Back J  :  9.  . 

.   8.C00 

Baronett   Peak.. 

...C  :  1.3.. 

.10,300 

Everts,    Mt C  :  7.  . 

.   7,90J 

Big  Game  Ridge. Q-J  :  9-11 

Factory  Hill O  :  8.. 

.   9,50!) 

Birch   Hills 

...R  :4.. 

.   7.300 

Flat   Mtn N  :  9.. 

.   9.tH);> 

Bison   Peak 

..D  :12.. 

.   8,800 

Folsom   Peak E  :  8 .  . 

.   9,300 

Bobcat  Ridge 

....T  :<».. 

.   9.500 

Forellen  Peak T  :  5. . 

.   9.70)> 

Bnnsen    Peak.  ... 

...D  :6.. 

.   9.100 

Gallatin    Range.  A-F  :  1-4.  . 

Cathedral  Peak. 

...J  :13.. 

.10.600 

Garnet  Hill C  :  9.  . 

.    7.001 

Chittenden,  Mt. . 

..K  :12.. 

.10,100 

Giant   Castle.... K  :  14-15.. 

.10  00.) 

Cinnabar   Mtn... 

...A  :5.. 

.   7.000 

Gibbon  Hill H  :r,.. 

.  .^.coii 

Colter   Peak 

,..0  :13.. 

.10.. 500 

Gravel  Peak T  :  11.  . 

.  \).m-) 

Crags,   The 

,...E  :3.. 

.   9,0(X) 

Gray   Peak C-D  :  4.. 

.10.. 300 

Crescent  Hill... 

....D  :9.. 

.   7,900 

Grizzly   Peak L  :  12. . 

.   9,700 

340 


APPENDIX. 


^«-^-  Bef'rlce. 

Hfxnoock,    Mt R  :  10.  . 

Hawks  Rest R  :  14. . 

Hedges  Peak G  :  9.  . 

Holmes,    Mt F  :  4.  . 

Horseshoe   Hill E  :  6. . 

Hoyt,    Mt L  :13.. 

Huckleberry    Mtn. .  .S  :  7. . 


Humphreys,  Mt. 

Huntley,    Mt 

Index  Peak 

Joseph  Peak 

Junction   Butte. 
Lake  Butte 


..N  :14.. 
...E  :4.. 
..C  :16.. 
...C  :4.. 
,  .B  :10.. 
.K  :11.. 


Landmark,   The F: 


I-angford,  Mt 
Mary  Mtn. ... 
Moran,  Mt. .. 
Needles,    The. 

Norris,     Mt 

Observation    Peak 

Obsidian  Cliff 

Paint  Pot  Hill. .. 

Pelican   Cone 

Pilot   Knob 

Pinon  Peak 

Prospect    Peak 
Pyramid   Peak 


...M  :13.. 

J  :7.. 

W  :  5.. 

...E  :14.. 

....E  :13. 

G  :8.. 

..F  :6.. 

..H  :  6.. 

..I  :12.. 
•  C  :  16.. 

..S  :  10.. 

D-B  :  8.. 

..J  :14.. 


Quadrant   Mtn D  :  4. . 


Alti- 
tude. 
.10,100 
.  9,800 
.  9.500 
.10,300 
.  8,200 
.10,400 
.  9,700 
.11,000 
.  9,900 
.11,740 
.10,300 
.  6,500 
.  8,G00 
.  8,800 
.10,600 
.  8,500 
.12,800 
.  9.G0O 
..9,900 
.  9,300 
.  7,800 
.  -7,900 
.  9,580 
.11.977 
.  9,600 
.  9,300 
.10,300 
.10,200 


Name. 


Map 
Rfft7-ence. 
Red  Mt.   Range... P  :  7-8... 
Reservation    Peak.M  :  14. . , 

Roaring    Mtn F  :  6. . , 

Saddle    Mtn H  :  15... 

Schurz,    Mt N  :  14.., 

Sepulcher  Mtn..B-C  :5-6.., 
Sheepeater  Cliffs..  .D  :  7. . . 

Sheridan,    Mt P  :  8. . 

Signal  Hills M  :  12.., 

Silver  Tip  Peak...K  :  13. . 
Specimen   Ridge. .  .E  :  11. , , 


Stevenson,    Mt. 
Storm    Peak... 


.M  :  13.. 
,..E  :8.. 


Survey  Peak T  :  4. . 

Table  Mtn O  :  14.. 

Terrace  Mtn C  :  6. . 

Teton,  The  G'nd.Off  Map. . 
Three  Rivers  Peak.E  :  4. . 
Thunderer,  The. . .  D  :  14. . 
Top  Notch  Peak...L  :  13. . 

Trident,   The Q-R  :  14. . 

Trilobite   Point F  :  4 . . 

Turret  Mtn P  :  14. . 

Twin    Buttes K  :  14.. 

Washburn,  Mt F  :  9. . 

White  Peak F.  A.. 

Wildcat  Peak T  :  8. . 

Yount  Peak Off  Map.. 


Alti- 
tude. 


10,600 
8,000 

11,100 
9,500 
9,500 
7,500 

10,250 
9,500 

10,400 
8,700 

10,300 
9,500 
9,200 

10,800 
8,100 

13,691 
9,900 

10,400 

10,000 

10,000 
9,900 

10,400 
8,400 

10,000 
0,800 
9,800 

12,250 


MOUNT AIX  PASSES. 


Craig  Pass.... 

Jones  Pass 

Norris  Pass... 


L  :6. 

...K  :  12. 
M  :  6. 


8,300 
9,450 
8,260 


Raynolds   Pass.  .Off  Map. . .  6,911 
Sylvan  Pass L:13...  8,650 


LAKES. 


Beach  Lake K  :  8. 

Beaver  Lake F  :  6. 

Beula  Lake B  :  5. 

Bridger  Lake R  :  13. 

Delusion  Lake M  :  9. 

Dryad  Lake K  :  8. 

Duck  Lake M  :  7. 

Fern   Lake H  :  11. 

Frost  Lake I  :  14. 

Gallatin   Lake E  :  4. 


8,150  Goose   Lake K:4...  7,100 

7,415  Grassy    Lake R:  5...  7,150 

7,530  Grebe    Lake G:8...  7,950 

7,900  Grizzly   Lake F:5...  7,490 

7,800  Heart  Lake P:9...  7,469 

8,250  Henry  Lake Off  Map...  6,443 

7,850  Bering  Lake R  :  5 . . ,  7,530 

8,150  Indian  Pond J  :  11. . .  7,7ro 

7,350  Isa    Lake L:  6...  8,250 

9,000  Jackson  Lake.  ...U-W  :  6...  6,000 


APPENDIX. 

64:1 

Kame. 

Map 

Seference. 

Alti- 
tude. 

^«"^-                    JtefeZce. 

Alti- 
tude. 

Leigh  Lake.... 

....W  :  5.. 

Summit    Lake M  :  3.. 

.   8,450 

Lewis    l^alie... 

0  :7.. 

.   7.720 

Swan   Lake D  :  6. . 

.   7,200 

Loon    Lake. ... 

R  :3.. 

.   6,400 

Sylvan  Lake L  :  13.. 

.  8,300 

Lost  Lake 

M  :7.. 

.  s.rjoo 

Tern   Lake I  :  11. . 

.  8,150 

Madison   Lake. 

N  :4.. 

.   8,250 

Trout  Lake D  :  13.. 

.   6,850 

Mallard  Lake.. 

L  :5.. 

.   8,000 

Turijid    Lake K  :  11.. 

.   7,800 

Mary  Lake 

J  :7.. 

.   8,100 

Twin   Lakes G  :  6. . 

.   7,450 

Mirror   Lake.  .. 

....G  :12.  . 

.   8,700 

Wapiti    Lake H  :  11.. 

.   8,500 

Obsidian  Lake. 

E  :6.. 

.  7,r,r,o 

Wliite  Lake I  :  11. . 

.   8,150 

Riddle  Lake.  .. 

N  :8.. 

.   7,050 

Woods,  Lake  of  the. F  :  6. . 

.   7,550 

Stiosiione  Lake. 

,M-N  :5-6.. 

.   7,740 

Yellowstone  L.  .K-O  :8-12. . 

.   7,741 

STREAMS. 

[Map  locations  refer  only  to   outlets,   or   to   points   where 

streams  pass  off  the  limits  of  the  map.     Altitudes  refer  to 

the  same  points,  but  are  given  only  in  the  most  important 
cases.] 


^«-<'-  EefefeZe. 

Agate    Creek E  :  10 

Alum    Creek H:9 

Amethyst    Creek r E  :  12 

Amphitheater    Creek D  :  13 

Antelope    Creek E  :  10 

Arnica    Creek L  :  8 

Aster    Creek P  :  7 

Astringent   Creek J  :  12 

Atlantic    Creek S  :  13 

Badger  Creek ; . .  .P  :  13 

Basin  Creek Q  :  9 

Bear    Creek B:7 

Bear    Creek K  :  11 

Beaver   Creek O  :  9 

Beaver  Dam  Creek O  :  12 

Bechler   River R  :  1 

Berry  Creek U  :  6 

Black-tail  Deer  Creek B  :8 

Bluflf  Creek H  :  10 

Bog  Creek H  :  10 

Boone    Creek T  :  1 

Bridge  Creek K  :  9 

Broad   Creek F  :  10 

Buffalo  Creek D  :  11 

Burnt    Creek E  :  10 

iache  Creek F  :  13 


Kame. 


Map 
Reference. 

Calfee  Creek F  :  13 

Canyon  Creek 1  :  5 

Carnelian  Creek E  :  9 

Cascade   Creek G  :  8 

Chalcedony  Creek E  :  12 

Chipmunk   Creek 0:11 

Clear  Creek L  :  11 

Cliff  Creek Q  :  13 

Clover  Creek G  :  13 

Cold    Creek H  :  14 

Columbine  Creek M  :  11 

Conant   Creek T  :  1 

Cotton  Grass  Creek H  :  9 

Cougar  Creek G  :  2 

Coulter  Creek R  :  8 

Crawfish  Creek R  :  6 

Crevice  Creek C  :  7 

Crooked  Creek R  :  10 

Crow  Creek K  :  15 

Crystal  Creek D  :  11 

Cub    Creek L  :  11 

Deep   Creek E  :  10 

De  Lacy  Creek M  :  6 

Duck  Creek G  :  3 

Elk    Creek D  :  9 

Elk  Tongue  Creek C  :  12 


342 


APPENDIX. 


^«"^-  Ref^ence. 

Escarpment  Creek Q  :  13 

Fairy  Creek J  :  4 

Falcon  Creek R  :  13 

Falls  Kiver S  :  1 

Fan    Creek C  :  2 

Fawn  Creek C  :  5 

FIreliole  River I  :  4 

Fireliole,  Little L  :  4 

Flint   Creek F  :  13 

Forest  Creek Q  :  7 

Fox  Creek R  :  U 

Gallatin  River A  :  1 

Gardiner   River   (5,360) B:6 

Geode    Creek C:8 

Geyser  Creek H  :  6 

Gibbon  River I  :  4 

Glade  Creek S  :6 

Glen  Creek -.C  :  6 

Gneiss  Creek G:l 

Gravel  Creek U  :  10 

Grayling  Creek F  :  1 

Grouse    Creek 0:10 

Harebell    Creek R  :  8 

Heart  River Q  .'d 

Hell  Roaring  Creek C  :  9 

Indian  Creek E  :  u 

Iron  Creek L  :  4 

Jasper  Creek D  :  11 

Jay  Creek S  :  13 

Jones  Creek K  :  15 

Juniper  Creek J  :  6 

Lamar   River    (5,970) D  :  10 

Lava  Creek D  :  7 

Lewis  River R  :  7 

Lizard  Creek U  :  6 

Lost  Creek D  :  0 

Lupine  Creek D  :  7 

Lynx  Creek Q  :  13 

Madison   River G  :  1 

Magpie  Creek J  :  0 

Maple   Creek G  :2 

Mason  Creek L  :  16 

Meadow  Creek M  :  11 

>nfldle  Creek L  :  15 

Miller   Creek G  :  13 

?nnk  Creek T  :  11 

Mist  Creek I  :  14 


Name.  „  ,^^P 

Beference. 

Moose  Creek N  :6 

Moss    Creek G  :  10 

Mountain   Creek P  :  13 

Mountain  Ash  Creek R  :  3 

Nez    Perce    Creek    (7,237) J:4 

Obsidian    Creek E  :  6 

Opal    Creek E  :  12 

Otter  Creek H  :  8 

Outlet  Creek p  :  9 

Owl   Creek T:5 

Pacific  Creek W  :  11 

Panther  Creek D  :  5 

Pebble    Creek D  :  13 

Pelican  Creek K  :  10 

Phlox  Creek Q  :  13 

Plateau  Creek , C  :  12 

Polecat   Creek S  :  6 

Quartz    Creek E  :  10 

Rabbit   Creek K  :  4 

Raven    Creek J  :  12 

Red   Creek Q  ;  8 

Rescue    Creek C  :  7 

Rocky  Creek O  :  12 

Rose    Creek D  :  12 

Sedge  Creek K  :  U 

Senecio    Creek S  :  13 

Sentinel  Creek J  :4 

Shallow    Creek F:ll 

Shoshone    River L  :  10 

Sickle   Creek Q  :  10 

Slough  Creek D  :  10 

Snake  River  (6,808) W  :  8 

Soda  Butte  Creek E  :  12 

Solfatara  Creek G  :  6 

Solution  Creek M  :  8 

Sour    Creek H  :  9 

Spirea   Creek R:6 

Spring  Creek M  :  5 

Spruce   Creek J  :  6 

Squirrel   Creek N  :  5 

Stellaria  Creek C  :  3 

Straight  Creek E  :  5 

Sulphur    Creek G  :  9 

Surface  Creek G  :  9 

Surprise  Creek P  :  9 

Tangled  Creek J  :  4 

Thistle  Creek J  :  10 


APPENDIX. 


343 


■^«"*«-  Beference. 

Thoroughfare  Creek R  :  13 

Timothy   Creek G  :  13 

Tower  Creek D  :  10 

Trail   Creek O  :  12 

Trappers'   Creek P  :  13 

Trout   Creek I  :  9 

Violet  Creek I  :8 


Weasel   Creek K:9 

Willow   Creek H  :  14 

Winter  Creek E  :  6 

Witch   Creek 0:8 

Wolverine  Creek R  :  8 

Yellowstone   River  (5,360). .  .A  :  5 


WATERFALLS. 

[Figures  in  parentheses  indicate  approximate  heights  of 
falls  in  feet.  These  in  most  cases  are  not  to  be  relied  upon  as 
strictly  accurate,  there  having  been  no  published  record  of 
actual  measurements,  except  in  the  case  of  the  Yellowstone 
Falls.] 


Amethyst    Falls E  :  12 

Colonnade  Falls P  :  3 

Crecelius  Cascade L  -.16 

Crystal  Falls  (129) G  :  8 

Fairy  Fall  (250) K  :  4 

Firehole    Falls    (60) 1:4 

Gibbon  Falls  (80) I  :  5 

Iris    P^alls P  :  3 

Kepler  Cascade   (80) L  :  3 

Lewis    Falls,    Upper   (80) P:7 

Lewis   Falls,    Lower  (50) Q:7 

Moose  Falls R  :  6 

Mystic    Falls L  :  4 

Osprey   Falls   (150) D  :  6 


Ouzel  Falls P 

Rainbosv  Falls  (140) R 

Rustic  Falls  (70) D 

Silver  Cord   Cascade G 

Terraced  Falls R 

Tower  Falls  (132) D  :  10 

Undine  Falls  (60) D  :  7 

Union  Falls Q  :  4 

Virginia  Cascade  (60) H:7 

Wraith    Falls    (100) D:7 

Yellowstone  Falls H  :  9 

Upper,   (112). 

Lower,   (310). 


LIST   OF    THE   PK0:MIXENT   GEYSERS. 

The  numbers  in  the  third  column  are  the  highest  re- 
corded, eruptions.  The  numbers  in  the  fourth  and  fifth  col- 
umns are  not  to  be  taken  as  indicating  the  correct  duration 
or  periodicity  of  eruptions.  The  prevalent  notion  that  gey- 
sers exhibit  uniform  periodicity  of  action,  is  erroneous. 
There  is  only  one  geyser  of  importance  in  the  Park  that  can 
be  depended  on,  and  that  is  Old  Faithful.  The  figures  for 
the  other  geysers  are  merely  rough  averages,  true,  perhaps, 
as  the  mean  of  a  year's  observations,  but  not  at  all  to  be 
relied  upon  in  predicting  particular  eruptions. 


344 


APPENDIX. 


The  following  abbreviations  are  used:  "M.  H.  S.,"  for 
Mammoth  Hot  Springs;  "N.  G.  B.,"  "L.  G.  B.,"  "M.  G.  B.,"  "U. 
G.  B.,"  "S.  G.  B.,"  and  "H.  G.  B.,"  for  the  Norris,  Lower, 
Middle,  Upper,  Shoshone,  and  Heart  Lake,  Geyser  Basins  re- 
spectively; "E.  S.  Y.,"  and  "W.  S.  Y.,"  for  the  East  and  West 
Shores  respectively  of  the  Yellowstone  Lake;  "s."  for  second; 
"m."  for  minute;   "h."  for  hour;   and  "d."  for  day. 


Name. 

Loca- 
tion. 

Eruptions. 

Anthors  of  Names. 

Height. 

Dura- 
tion. 

Inter 
val. 

Remarks. 

Arsenic 

N.  G.  B. 

........... 

U.  S.  G.  S. 

Artemesla 

IT.  G.  B. 

"'isoft'."" 

"io'in'.'" 

U.  S.  G.  S. 

A  t  r»m  1 7  p  r 

U.  G.  B. 
L.G.  B. 

20  ft. 

10  m. 

Unknown. 

V^    H_/lAJ.J.^^i 

ggad 

Has    a    "  beautifully 
beaded   tube."— 

Comstock. 

Bee  Hive 

U.  G.  B. 
U.G.  B. 
U.G.  B. 
U.  G.  B. 

220  ft. 

8  m. 

20  h. 

Washburn  Party. 
U.  S.G.  S. 
U.  S.  G.  S. 

Bijou 

Bulger 

51t."' 

100  ft. 

Castle 

"25  "m." 

"24'h!"' 

Washburn     Party. 

"  From  a  distance  It 

strongly     resembles 

an  old  feudal  cnst'e 

partially  in  ruins." 

— Doane. 

Catfish 

L.G.  B. 
U.  G.  B. 

U.  S.G.  8. 

dilnamaii 

U.  S.G.  S.     Really    a 
quiescent   spring. 

Sometimes  called  a 

geyser  from  the  cir- 

_ 

cumstance     that     a 

Chinaman  who  had 

used  It  for  a  wash- 

tub  caused  an  erup- 

tion by  the  soap  put 

in  the  spring,  thus 

initiating  the  prac- 

tice of  "soaping  gey- 

sers." 

Clepsydra 

L.G.  B. 

50  It. 

10  e. 

8  m. 

'Like     the      ancient 

water-clock  of  that 

name,  it  marks  the 

passage  of  time  by 

the  discharge  of 

water."  —  Comstock 
(1878). 
U.  S.G.  S. 

Comet 

U.G.  B. 
N.G.  B. 

60  ft. 

Im. 

Congress^ 

Came   Into   existence 

in  the  winter  of  1898. 

Like  the  memorable 

53d  Congress,  for 

which  it  is   named, 

its    performance    Is 

sadly    incommen- 

surate    with     Its 

promises. 

Constant 

N.G.  B. 

80  ft. 

10  s. 

Im. 

Norris. 

Svi.VAN  Lake,  East  Koad. 


APPENDIX. 


345 


Name. 

Loca- 
tion. 

Eruptions. 

Authors  of  Names. 

Height. 

Dura- 
tion. 

Inter- 
val. 

Remarks. 

Cubs 

U.G.  B. 
H.G.  B. 

N.  G.  B. 
U.  G.  B. 

See  "  Lion." 

Deluge 

""ibft."' 
20  ft. 

U.  S.G.  S. 

Echinus 

U.  S.  G.  S. 

Economic 

No  water  lost  In  erup- 
tion; all  falls  back 

into  crater. 

Excelsior 

M.G.B, 

300  ft. 

lto4h. 

^'A  geyser  so  immeas- 

urably excelling  any 

other  ancient   or 

modern    known     to 

history,  that  I  find 

but    one  name    fit- 

ting,    and      herein 

christen   it  the  Ex- 

celsior."—  N  orris. 

The    Sheridan    par- 

ties in  1881  and  1882 

called  It  the  Sheri- 

dan Geyser. 

Fan 

U.G.  B. 

60  ft. 

10  m. 

8h. 

Washburn  Party. 

Fnarless 

N.  G.  B. 
N.  G.  B. 

l.g.:b. 

L.  G.  B. 

Norris. 

Fissue..... .!.......". 

■■■iooiftr' 

3  ft. 

60  ft. 

20  mV" 

■"2h'."" 

U.  S.G.  8. 

Fitful 

Comstock. 

Fountain 

15  "m." 

""i'h." 

U.  S.  G.  S. 

Giant 

U.  G.  B. 
U.(^.  B. 

2(X)  ft. 
2.50  ft. 

00  m. 
12  h. 

6d. 
14  d. 

Washburn  Party. 
Washburn  Party. 

Giantess 

Grand  

U.  G.  B. 
L.  G.  B. 

200  ft. 
1  ft. 

20  m. 
80s. 

20  h. 
Im. 

U.P  G.  S. 

Gray  Bulger 

U.S.  G.  S. 

GreatFountaln 

L.G.  B. 

100  ft. 

U.  S.G.  S.    Called  Ar- 

chitectural  Foun- 

tain in  1871. 

Grotto..... 

U.G.  B. 

40  ft. 

30  m. 

4  h. 

Washburn  Party. 

Jet 

L.G.  B. 
U.G.B. 
U.G.  B. 

15  ft. 
50  ft. 
60  ft. 

U.S.  G.  S. 

Jewell 

"i'm." 
8  m. 

■50  m." 
24  h. 

U.  S.  G.  S. 

Lion 

With    Lioness   and 

Cubs   called   "The 

Chimneys  "  by  Bar- 

low in  1&71;  renamtd 

"Trinity" Geyser  bv 

Comstock     in    1878; 

most   Isolated   cone 

called    "  Niobe  "   by 

U.   S.  G.  S.   in  187»; 

present  name  given 

by  Norris  in  1881. 

Lioness 

U.G.B. 
M  :  5 

80  ft. 
60  ft. 

10  m. 
10  m. 

24  h. 
40  m. 

See  *'  Lion." 

Lone  Star 

Unknown.  First  called 

"  The   Solitary  "   by 

theU.  S.G.S.inl872. 

Minute 

N.  G.  B. 
U.G.B. 

40  ft. 

20  s. 

90  s. 

Norris. 

Model 

Geyser    on     a     small 

scale. 

Monarch 

N.  G.  B. 
U.G.B. 

125  ft. 
60  ft. 

20  m. 
6  m. 

12  h. 
8  h. 

Norris. 

Mortar 

"  Resembles     in      its 

eruption  the  partic- 

ular  piece   of    ord- 

nance from  which  it 

derives  its  name."— 

Ha vnes  Guide  Book. 

Mud  Geyser 

N.G.  B. 

10  ft. 

5  m. 

20  m. 

Norris. 

Mud  Geyser 

I  :  9 

80  ft. 

20  m. 

8  h. 

Washburn  Party. 

346 


APPENDIX. 


NAME. 

Loca- 
tion. 

Eruptions. 

Authors  of  Names. 

Height. 

Dura- 
tion. 

Inter- 
val. 

Remarks. 

Oblong 

U.  G.  B. 
U.  G.  B. 
N.G.  B. 
N.  B.B. 
L.  G.  B. 
U.G.  B. 
U.G.  B. 
L.  G.  B. 
H.G.B. 
U.G.  B. 
U.G.  B. 
S.  G  B. 
U.G  B. 
H,G.  B. 
U.G.  B. 
U.G.  B. 

L.G.  B. 
U.  G.  B 
U.  G.  B. 

S.  G.  B 

40  ft, 
150  ft. 

4  m. 
4J^m. 

8  h. 
65  m. 

U.  S.  G    S 

Old  Faithful 

Pearl 

Washburn  Party. 

U.  S.  G  S 

Pebble 

50  ft. 

75  m. 

U   S  G  S 

Pink  Cone 

U.  8.  G.S. 

Restless 

U   S  G  S 

Riverside 

Rosette 

80  ft. 
80  ft. 
47  ft. 
35  ft. 
20  ft. 

16  m. 

8h. 

U.  S.  G.  S. 
U.  S.  G.  S. 

Rustic . 

4  m. 

15  m. 

U  S  G  S 

Sawmill 

U.S.  G.S. 

Sentinel 

Barlow. 

Shield 

U.  S.  G.  S. 

Spasmodic 

5  ft. 

U.  S.  G.  S. 

Spike 

U.S.  G.  S. 

Splendid 

200  ft. 

10  m. 

8h. 

Norrls. 

Sponge 

From    appearance  of 

the  crater. 
U.  8.  G  8 

Steady 

80  ft. 

100  ft. 

20  ft. 

in  ft. 

66  ft. 
3  ft. 

Surprise 

2 
25  m. 

60  m. 

Turban 

U.S.  G.S.    "  From  the 

Union  (1) 

(2) 

5  h. 

fancied   appearance 
of  some  of  the  large 
globular   masses   in 
ItsbasintoaTuikish 
head-dress."— Peale. 
U.  S.  G.  S.  in  1^72.    So 
named  "  because  of 

(8) 

Vlxon 

N.G.  B. 
L.  G.  B. 
U.G.  B. 
L.  G.  B. 

the  various  forms  of 
geyseric    action."  — 
Peale.  No.  lis  North 
Cone:  No.  2  Middle 
Cone;    No.   8  South 
Cone. 
Norrls. 

White  Dome.... 
YoungFalthful 

12  ft. 
20  ft. 
20  ft. 

U.S.  G.S. 

Earl  of  Dunraven. 

Young  Hopeful 

U.S.  G.S. 

INDEX. 


The  list  of  names  in  the  Appendix  being  arranged  alphabeti- 
cally, names  found  in  it  are  not  included  in  this  index  unless 
they  also  occur  in  the  main  body  of  the  work. 


Absaroka,  Indian  name  for  Crow 
Tribe,  6. 

Absaroka  Range,   name  consider- 
ed, 133. 
described,   178. 

Act    of    Dedication,    93,    94. 

Act  of  1883,    Military   Assistance 
in   protecting   Park,    111. 

Act    of    1890,    admitting    Wyom- 
ing, 112. 

Act  of  1894,   National   Park  Pro- 
tective Act,   118. 

Act  of  1894,  regulating  leases,  118. 

Administration   of  tlie   Park,   2G9 
et  seq. 

Administrative  History  of  tfio  Y. 
N.   P.,   107  et  seq. 

Algous    growtlis     in    hot     water, 
211. 

Alum    Creek,    Bridger's    story  of, 
49. 

American    Fur   Company,    30. 

Amethyst   Mountain,  334. 

"  Annie,"   first  boat  on  Y.   Lake, 
132. 

Antelope,    habitat    of,    in    Y.    N. 
P.,    224. 

Apollinaris   Spring,   284. 

Area  of  the  Y.  N.   P..  175. 

Arsenic    Geyser,    286. 

Artomesia    Geyser,   254. 

Artist    Point,    321. 

Arthur,   Chester  A.,   visits  Y.   N. 
P.,  105. 


Ashley,  W.  H.,  31. 

Astor,  John  Jacob,  and  the  Ameri- 
can  fur   trade,   33. 

Atlantic    Creek,    140. 

Autumn    foliage    in    the    Y.     N. 
P.,    188. 

Avalanche  Peak,  312. 

Bannock  .Ford  over  Yellowstone, 
332. 

Bannock   Indians.   8,   133,   151. 

Bannock  Peak,  133, 

Bannock  Trail,  10. 

Baring-Gould's    theory    of   geyser 
action,    208. 

Barlow,    Captain    J.    W.,    expedi- 
tion  of,   82  et  seq. 
quoted,  5,  296. 

Barlow   Peak,   128. 

Baronett,  C.  J.,  124. 

Baronet t    Bridge,   148.   133. 

Baronett    Peak.    124. 

Bath    Lake.    280. 

Bears,    223. 

Beaver,  223. 

Beaver  Dish.  120. 

Beaver   Lake.    284. 

Bee  Hive  Geyser,  298. 

Belknap,    W.    W.,    visits    Y.    N. 
P.,  103. 

Beryl   Spring,  288. 

Big   Game   Ridge,   179. 

Bighorn    Basin,    313. 

Birds  in"  the  Y.  N.  P..  225. 

Biscuit    Basin,   254. 

(347) 


348 


INDEX. 


Blackfeet    Indians,    6,    7,    17,    25. 

Black  Growler,  286. 

Black    Sand    Basin,    295. 

Blaine,    J.    G.,    Introduces  Lang- 
ford    at    Washington    lecture, 
81. 
signs   Act    of   Dedication,   94. 

Boat,   first   on   Y.    Lake.   r'^2. 

Boat   ride   on   Y.    Lake,   308. 

Boiling  River,  278. 

Boiling  Springs  In  Y.  N.   F.,  213. 

Bonneville,    Captain,    32. 

Bottler's  Ranch,  165. 

Boundaries  of  the  Y.  N.  P.,  94, 
175. 

Brackenridge,  H.  M.,  quoted  17, 
18,    19,    27,    38. 

Bradbury,   John,   3,  21,   27. 

Bradley,  F.  H.,  quoted,  136. 

Bridger,  James,  31,  45,  56. 
biographical  sketch,  53. 
his    stories,    47    et    seq. 

Bridger    Lake,    125. 

Bronze  Geyser,  302. 

Bufifalo  of  Y.  N.  P.,  118,  220,  222. 

Buusen    Peak,    130. 

Bunsen's  theory  of  geyser  action, 
204. 

Burlington  R.  R.,  313. 

"  Burning   Mountains,"   11. 

Cache  Creek,  name  of,  66,  135. 

Calcareous  Springs  in  the  Y.  N. 
P.,    212. 

Canyons  of  the  Park,  183. 

Capitol   Hill,   280. 

Carpenter,  Frank  and  Ida,  mem- 
bers of  Radersburg  tourist 
party,   142. 

Carpenter,  R.  E.,  Fourth  Super- 
intendent  Y.    N.    P.,   112. 

Cascade  Creek,   317. 

Castle    Geyser,   296. 

Catlin,  George,  proposes  a  Na- 
tional   Park,    96. 

Chemical  Analysis  of  Park  Wa- 
ters, 219. 

Cinnabar  Mountain,   137. 

Clagett,  W.  H.,  his  work  for 
Park  bill,  91. 


Climate  of  the  Y.  N.  P.,  257. 

Coast  and  Geodetic  Survey,  mon- 
ument of,   near  Y.   Lake,  314. 

Colter,    John,    adventures    of,    15 
et    seq. 
discoveries  of,  21. 

"  Colter's    Hell,"    21,    26,    44. 

Colter  Peak,  125. 

"  Colter's  Route  in  1807,"  19,  20. 

Comet  Geyser,  295. 

Commissioner    to    try     Park    of- 
fenses, 271. 

Comstock,     T.     B.,     member     of 
Captain  Jones'  party  in  1873, 
102. 
his    theory    of    geyser    action, 

207, 
quoted   343. 

Conant  Creek,  trail  along,  125. 

Conger,  P.  H.,  Third  Superin- 
tendent of  Y.  N.  P.,  109,  113. 

Congress    Geyser,    286. 

Constant   Geyser,   286. 

Continental   Divide,    179. 

Cooke   City,    335. 

Corkscrew    Hill,    302. 

Cowan,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  George  F., 
members  Radersburg  tourist 
party,  143,  152  et  seq. 

Craig  Pass,  132,  302. 

Crescent    Hill    Canyon,    337. 

Crevice    Creek,    135. 

Crook,  General  George,  visits 
Park,   103, 

Crow  Indians,  territory  of,  6,  17, 
25. 

Crystal  Falls,   317. 

Dawes,   Miss   Anna   L.,   132. 

Death  Gulch,  335. 

De    I-acy    Creek,    127. 

De  Lacy,  W.  W.,  expedition  of 
in  1863,  63  et  seq. 

Deluge   Geyser,   308. 

De  Smet,  Father,  quoted,  44,  176. 

"  Devil,"  frequency  of  name  in 
Y.    N.    P.,    124, 

Devil's  Inkstand,   216,   322, 

Devil's  Kitchen.  280. 


INDEX. 


349 


Dietrich,     Richard,      member     of 
Helena  tourist  party,  142. 
killed  by  Nez  Perces.  164,  167. 

Discovery  of  gold  in  Montana,  62 
et   seq. 

Discovery  of  the  Y.,  69  et  seq. 

Doane,     Lieutenant    G.     C,     bio- 
graphical  sketch,   83. 
commands     escort     to      Wash- 
burn  Expedition,   73. 
guide  to  General  Belknap,  103. 
quoted,   5,    12,    75,   77,   140,    299, 

301,  318,  331. 
report  of,  upon   Washburn  Ex- 
pedition, 81. 

Doane,  Mt.,  128. 

Drainage  areas  of  Y.  N.  P.,  180. 

Duck   Lake,   306. 

Dunnell,    M.    H.,    and    Park    bill, 
91,    93. 

Dunraven,   Earl  of,   quoted,  94. 

Dunraven  Peak,  130. 

Dunraven   Pass,   324. 

East  Gardiner  Canyon  and  Falls, 
282. 

Eastern  Approach,  311. 

I':chinus  Geyser,  286. 

Eggshell,  291. 

Elephant  Back,  original  name  for 
Washburn  Range,  138. 

Electric   Peak.    137,   277,   281. 

Electric*  Railways    in    Y.    N.    P., 
119. 

Elk  in  Y.  N.   P.,  224. 

Emerald     Pool     (Norris     Geyser 
Basin),    286. 
(Upper   Geyser   Basin),    255. 

Entrance   gate   to   Park,    277. 

Equipment  for  snow-shoe  travel- 
ing,  195. 

Erosion,    work    of,    in    Y.    N.    P., 
158. 

Everts,  Mt.,  128,  283. 

Everts,   T.   C,   lost  in  the  Park, 
77. 
member    of    Washburn    Party, 
72. 

Excelsior   Geyser,   292. 


Expedition   of  1869.     See  Folsom 

Expedition, 
of  1S70.    See  Washburn  Expedi- 
tion. 
Explorations    by    U.    S.    Govern 

ment,  relation  of  to  Y.  N.  P., 

101. 
Face,     protile     of     in     Absaroka 

Range,    300. 
Factory   Hill,    138. 
Falls  River,  182. 

Falls  of  the  Yellowstone  describ- 
ed,   317,    319. 
Fan    Geyser,    295. 
Fauna    of   the   Y.    N.    P.,    220   et 

seq. 
Fencing  the  Park  boundary,  232. 
Fearless  Geyser,  220. 
Ferris,    W.    A.,   at   Upper  Geyser 

Basin,  11,  38  et  seq. 
sketch  of,  38. 
Firehole  Cascade,  222. 
Spring,   291. 
River,  139. 
Fish  Commission,  U.  S.,  work  of, 

in    Y.    N.    P.,   229. 
Fishes  of  the  Y.   N.   P.,  228. 
Fishing.  Bridger's  story  of,  50. 
Fishing     Cone,     west     shore     Y. 

Lake,    310. 
Flora  of  the  Y.  N.  P.,  233. 
Flowers   of  the  Y.   N.   P.,  246  et 

seq. 
Folsom,   D.   E.,   expedition  of,   70 

et  seq. 
quoted,   304,   320. 
suggests   Park   idea,   89. 
Folsom    Peak,    127. 
"  Forest   and    Stream,"   118. 
Forest  Reserves  around  Park,  175. 
Forests   of  the   Y.   N.   P..   237  et 

soq. 
Forest    Fires,   243. 
Fort    Yellowstone,    270. 
Fossil  forests  of  the  Y.,  195,  334, 
Fountain  Geyser,  289. 
French  name  for  Y.   River,  2,  5. 
Frying   Pan,   214,   285. 
Fumaroles,  217. 


350 


I>TDEX. 


Fur  trade,   relation  of   to  Y.    P., 
28   et  seq.,   98. 

Gallatin   Range,   178. 

Gallatin    River,   181. 

Game  preserve,  the  Y.  N.  P.,  as 
a,    220. 

Game  in  the  Y.   N.   P.,  231. 

Gannett,  Henry,  123. 
quoted,   1.30,   139. 

Gardiner   River,    38,    181. 
name    of,    125. 

Gardner,  Johnson,   125. 

Geographical    names     in     the    Y. 
Park,   121   et   seq. 

Geology  of  the  Y.   N.   P.,   190  et 
seq. 

Geyser   action,    theories    concern- 
ing,   203   et    seq. 

Geysers,    description    of,    203    et 
seq. 
list   of,    343. 

Giant   Geyser,   295. 

Giantess  Geyser,  297. 

"  Giant's  Face,"  309. 

Gibbon  Canyon,  288. 

Gihbon  Falls,  289. 

Gibbon,  John,  101. 
battle  of,  with  Nez  Perces,  146. 

Gibbon   Meadows,   288. 

Gibbon    Paintpots,    288. 

Gibbon  River,  130,  181. 

Glacial  Epoch  in  Y.  N.  P.,  193. 

Glass  Mountain,    Bridger's  story, 
48. 

Gold,    discovery    of    in    Montana, 
62  et   seq.,   100. 

Golden  Gate,  282. 

Grand   Canyon   of  the   Y.,    colors 
in,  4,  317. 
history  of,  198. 

Grand  Geyser,  296. 

Grand  Teton,   307. 
ascent  of,  307. 
granite    blocks     near     summit, 

308. 
name  considered,  139. 

Granite   Block   near   Grand   Can- 
yon,   194,    320. 


Granite    Blocks    near    summit   of 
Grand  Teton,  308. 

Grant,  U.   S.,   signs  Act  of  Dedi- 
cation,  94. 

Grasses  of  the  Park,  233. 

Great  Bend  of  the  Y.,  38. 

Great   Fountain   Geyser,   289. 

Grinnell,  G.  B.,  103. 

Grosventre   Indians,   7. 

Grotto  Geyser,  255. 

Gunnison,    Captain   J.    W.,    quot- 
ed, 45. 

Hague,    Arnold,   quoted,   123,   139, 
281. 

Hancock,   Mt.,   129. 

Harris,     Captain     Moses,      Sixth 
Superintendent  Y.  N.  P.,  114. 

Hauser,   S.  T..  member  of  Wash- 
burn Party,  73. 

Hayden,      F.       V.,       biographical 
sketch,    87. 
connection   of,    with   Park    bill, 

91. 
explorations  of,  in  Y.  N.  P.,  82. 
geologist   to  Captain   Raynolds, 

56. 
quoted,   5,   138. 

Hayden  Valley,  129,  316. 

Haynes,   F.   J.,   105,   117. 

Health  resort,  Y".  N.  P.,  as  a,  259. 

Heap,   Captain   D.   P.,   with   Cap- 
tain  Barlow,   1871,   82. 

Heart   Lake,    308. 
name  of,   126. 

Hedges.     Cornelius,     member     of 
Washburn   Party,   72. 
originates    National    Park  pro- 
ject, 90. 

Hedges  Peak,  128. 

Helena   tourists,   1877,   142,  163. 

Hell  Roaring  Creek,  135. 

Henry,   Andrew,   fur  trader.   126. 

Henry  Lake,  ]26. 

Holmes,  Mt.,  281. 

Hoodoo  Region,  836. 

Hotel  system  of  Y.  N.  P.,  267. 

Hot  Springs  of  the  Y.  N.  P.,  210 
et  seq. 


INDEX. 


351 


Howard,  General  O.  O.,  and  Nez 

I'erce   campaign,   103,    146   et 

seq. 

Hoyt,   J.    W.,   expedition   of,   104. 

Hudson's  Bay  Fur  Company,  liis- 

torioal   slieteb,   29. 
Humphreys,   Mt.,   129. 
Huntley,  S.  S.,  116. 
Huntley,   Mt.,   131.   281. 
Hurricane,   The,   286. 
Huston,     George,     crosses     Park 

country,  67. 
Index  Peak,  138. 
Indians  and    naroo    Yellowstone, 
3,    5. 
knowledge    of,    concerning    the 

geyser  regions,  6. 
trails  of,  in  Y.  N.  P.,  9. 
Inscription     on     pine    tree    near 

Grand   Canyon,   35,   316. 
Insects  of  Park,  230. 
Inspiration   Point,   318. 
Irving,  Washington,  quotes  Brad- 
bury,   21. 
Isa  Lake,  1.31,  302. 
Jackson,    Da^-id.    fur   trader,   31. 
Jackson  Hole,  184. 
Jackson  Lake,  126. 
Jones    Creek    and    Pass,    129. 
Jones,    Captain    W.    A.,    expedi- 
tion of,  102. 
quoted,  5. 
Joseph,     Non-treaty     Nez     Perce 

chief,  144  et  seq.,  154. 
Joseph   Peak,    133. 
Junction  Butte,  333. 
Kenck,    Charles,   member  Helena 
tourist   party,   142. 
killed  by  Nez  Perces,  163. 
Kepler  Cascade,  131,  301. 
Kingman,   Lieutenant  D.   C,  pre- 
pares  project   for   Park   road 
system,  117. 
Lake  Shore  Geyser,  309. 
Lake  View.  303. 
Lakes  of  the  Y.  N.  P.,  182,  339. 
Lamar  River,  131,  181. 
canyon  of,  334. 


Langford,   N.    P.,   ascends   Grand 
Teton,  307. 
biographical   sketch  of,   84. 
lirst   Superintendent   Y.    N.    P., 

108. 
lectures  on   the  Washburn   Ex- 
pedition, 81. 
member  of  the   Washburn   Ex- 
pedition,  72. 
quoted,   91,  297. 
reprints  Folsom's  article,  71. 
submits    first    project  for    road 

system,  262. 
work  of,  for  Park  bill,  01. 
Langford,    Mt.,    128. 
Leases,    Act    of   1894    regulating, 

118. 
Leigh  Lake,  126. 
Leigh,  Richard,  126. 
Lewis  and  Clark  among  the  Man- 
dans,   1. 
expedition  of,  97,  127. 
use  name  "Yellow  Stone,"  1,  2. 
quoted,  2,   15. 
Lewis   Lake,   308. 
Lewis,  Meriwether,  kills  a  Black- 
foot  Indian,   7. 
Lewis  River,  181. 
Liberty  Cap,  280. 
Lightning  Stroke  on  Yellowstone 

Lake,  305. 
Lion  Geyser,  297. 
Lioness   Geyser,  297. 
Lisa,    Manuel,    at   mouth  of   Big- 
horn River,  7,  38. 
employs  John  Colter,  17. 
Lone  Star  Geyser,  301. 
Looking  Glass,   Nez   Perce  chief, 

144,    152. 
Lookout  Hill,  280. 
I-ookout  Point,  318. 
Lost  Creek  Canyon,  333. 
Louisiana,  cession  of  to  U.  S.,  2. 
Lower  Fall  of  the  Y.,  described, 

319. 
Lower  Geyser  Basin,  288  et  seq. 
Ludlow,  Captain  William,  expedi- 
tion of,  102. 
quoted,  274. 


352 


IKDEX. 


Mackenzie,  theory  of  geyser  ac- 
tion, 208. 

Madison   Forest   Reserve,   176. 

Madison  Lake,  301. 

Madison  River,  181, 

Mammoth  Hot  Springs,  278. 

Mammoth   Paintpots,   290. 

Map   Index,   338   et   seq. 

Mary  Lake,  132. 

Mason,  Major  J.  W.,  commands 
escort  to  Governor  Hoyt,  104. 

Maynadier,  Lieutenant,  com- 
mands detachment  of  Ray- 
nolds  Party,   57,  59. 

McCartney,  C.  J.,  attacked  by 
Nez   Perces,   164,   166. 

McCartney  Cave,  280. 

Meek,  Joseph,  adventures  of,  36, 

Melan   Arch   Bridge,   321. 

Middle  Creek,  313. 

Middle  Gardiner  Falls  and  Can- 
yon, 281. 

Midway  Geyser  Basin,  292. 

Miles,  General  N.  A.,  intercepts 
and  captures  Nez  Perces,  149. 

Mineral  Springs  of  the  Y.  N.  P., 
therapeutic  value  of,  2G0. 

Minnetaree,  Indian  dialect,  5. 

Missouri  River,  181, 

Mi  tsi  a-da-zi,  Indian  name  for 
Yellowstone,  5. 

Monarch  Geyser,  286. 

Monida  and  Yellowstone  Com- 
pany, 117. 

Montana  Territory,  discovery  of 
gold  in,  62  et  seq. 

Monument   Geyser  Basin,   288. 

Monument,    survey,    3,    14. 

Moran,  Thomas,  painting  by,  319. 

Moran,   Mt.,   130. 

Morning   Glory,    294. 

Mosquitoes,   230,   275. 

Mountains  of  the  Park,  list  of, 
338. 

Mountain  Sheep  of  Y.  N.  P.,  224. 

Mountain  Systems  of  the  Y.  N. 
P.,   178. 

Mud  Geyser,   Y.   River,  216,   315. 

Mud   Volcano,   216,   314. 


Mystic  Fall,  294. 

Names,  geographical.  In  Y.  N.  P., 

121  et  seq. 
Narrow  Gauge  Terrace,  279. 
National  Park  project,  origin  of, 

89   et   seq. 
National     Park     Protective     Act, 

118. 
Natural  Bridge,  308. 
Needle,    The,    near   Tower   Falls, 

332. 
Nez  Perce  Creek,  134. 
Nez     Perce      Indians,     historical 
sketch   of,    143   et   seq. 
incursions  of,  into  Y.  N.  P.,  152 
et  seq. 
Nez   Perce    War,     beginning    of, 

115. 
Norris,  P.  "W.,  builds  road  of  vol- 
canic glass,  284. 
discoveries  of,   35,  36. 
names  objects  for  himself,  124, 

130. 
quoted,  12,  133,  135,  336,  344. 
road  work  of,  117,  262. 
second     Superintendent     Y.     N. 
P.,   109. 
Norris   Geyser   Basin,   285. 

discovery   of,    131. 
Northern   Pacific   R.    R.,    relation 

of  to   Park,   115,   116. 
North-west    Fur    Company,    2,    3, 

29. 
Oblong    Geyser,    295. 
Obsidian   Cliff,   48,   284. 
Old  Faithful,  298. 
'•Old    Man    of    the    Mountains," 

309. 
Orange   Geyser,   279. 
Outlet    Creek,    140. 
Overhead    sounds   near   Y.    Lake, 

305. 
Pacific    Creek,    140. 
Pacific    Fur    Co.,    30. 
Paintpots   described,    215. 
Peale.    A.    C,    quoted,    10. 
Pelican  Creek,  140. 
Pend    d'Oreilles    Indians    in   gey- 
ser basins,  11. 


IXDEX. 


353 


Petrifiictions  in  Y.  N.   P.,   Bridg- 

er's  story.  50  et  seq. 
Petrified   Trees,   334. 
I'ieiTe  Jaune.     See   lioche  Jaune. 
I'ilut   Kaob,   138. 
Plateaus   of  tlie  Y.   N.    P.,   185. 
I'oe,  General  O.  M.,  quoted,  123. 
Potts,  companion  of  Colter,  21. 
Prismatic    Lake,    292. 
Punch    Bowl,   255. 
Quadrant  Mountain,  281. 
Quaking   Aspen,    beauty    of,    240. 
Quiescent    Springs,    210. 
Radersburg  tourist    party,     1877, 

142,   152  et   seq. 
Pallroads  and  the  Y.  N,  P.,  119. 
Rainfall  in  Y.   X.   P.,  233. 
Rattlesnakes  not  known  in  Park, 

230. 
Raymond,  R.  W.,  quoted,  5. 
Raynolds,  Captain  W.  C,  expedi 

tion  of,  56  et  seq. 
Raynolds    Pass,    127. 
Red  Mountain  Range,  179. 
Renshaw,   John    R.,   305. 
Reptiles   in   the   Park,   230. 
Riddle    Lake,    136. 
Riverside    Geyser,    295. 
Road    system    of   the    Y.    N.    P., 

117,   261. 
Roaring    Mountain,    139,    285. 
Roche  Jaune,  French  name  for  Y. 

River,   2-5. 
Rocks  of  the  Y.  N.  P.,  199. 
Rocky  Mountain    Fur    Company, 

sketch  of.  31. 
Roosevelt,  Theodore,  visits  Park, 

106. 
Rustic  Falls,  282. 
Rustic   Geyser,    old   logs   around, 

10,   308. 
Sawmill   Geyser,   296. 
Scenery  of  the  Y.   N.   P.,  186. 
Schurz,   Carl,   visits   Park,   104. 
Schurz,  Mt.,  131. 
Sepulcher    Mountain,    139,    277. 
Sheepeater   Cliffs,    133. 
Sheepeator  Indians,   8,   9,   12,   13. 
(  15*  > 


Sheridan,    Mt.,    129,    179,    308. 
an  extinct  volcano,  193. 

Sheridan,  General  P.  H.,  aids  ex- 
ploration and   discovery,   72. 
gives    public    warning    of    dan- 
gers to  Park,  111. 
quoted,    13, 
visits   Park,   104. 

Sherman,  General  W.  T.,  quoted, 
319. 
visits   Park,   103,    142. 

Shively,   Nez   Perce  guide,   147. 

Shoshone    Indians,    6,    7,    8. 

Shoshone   Geyser,   302. 

Shoshone  Lake,  302. 

Shoshone  Point,   302. 

Shoshone  River,  name  of,  10,  44, 
135,  182,  313. 

Silica,  its  function  in  geyser  for- 
mation, 209. 

Siouan   family  of  Indians,   6. 

Slough    Creek,    135. 

Smith,   Jedediah,    fur  trader,   31. 

Snake   River,    181. 

Snowfall   in    Y.    N.    P.,    259. 

Soaping    Geysers,    206. 

Soda    Butte,    335. 
Canyon,    335. 

Soda    Spring,    288. 

Southern   Approach,   306. 

Specimen  Ridge,  334. 

Splendid   Geyser,  295, 

Sponge,    The,    297. 

Spring  Creek  Canyon,  301. 

Spurgin,  Captain  W.  F.,  builds 
road  for  Howard  across  Y. 
N,  P.,  170  et  seq. 

Spurgin's  Reaver  Slide,  172.  316. 

Stanton.  Captain  W.  S.,  makes 
reconnaissance  through  Y. 
N.   P.,  104, 

Steamboat  Spring,  217. 

Steam    vents,   216. 

Stevenson.  J.,  name  perpetuated 
in   Park,  129. 

Stewart,  J.,  escapes  from  In- 
dians, 166. 

Stinking  Water  River,  44,  135, 
182. 


354 


INDEX. 


Stone,   Beuj.,   experience  of  with 
Nez   Perees,   164,   167. 

Streams   of  the  Y.   N.    P.,   182. 
list  of,  340. 

Stuart,   James,    62,   67. 

Sturgis,   General    S.    D.,     attacks 
Nez    Perees,    149. 

Stygian  Cave,  280. 

Sublette,  ^Yilliam,  fur  trader,  3L 

Sulphur  Mountain,  315. 
Spring,    214. 

Superintendent  of  the  Park,   im- 
portance of  office,  271. 

Surprise   Pool,   290. 

Swan  Lake,  284. 
Flats,  281. 

Sylvan  Lake,   140,   311. 

Sylvan  Pass,  312. 

Talmage,  T.  DeWitt,  quoted,  318, 
320. 

Tangled  Creek,  140. 

Temperatures  in  Y.  N.  P.,  257. 

Terrace   Mountain,    198,    282. 

Teton    Mountains,    139,    179,    307. 

Therapeutic   value   of  springs   In 
Y.    N.    P.,   260. 

Third  Canyon  of  the  Y.,   337. 

Thompson,     David,     and      name 
"  Yellowstone,"  1,  2. 

Topping,    E.   S.,   131. 

Tour  of  the  Y.  N.  P.,  description 
of,  273  et  seq. 

Tower  Falls,   140,   331. 

Transportation  system  of  the  Y. 
N.    P.,   268. 

Ti-avertine    Rocks,    282. 

Tree    inscribed    with    date    1819, 
35. 

Trout    Creek,    serpentine    course 
of,   315. 

Trout  in  Y.   Lake,  228,   230. 

Trout   Lake,    335. 

Trumbull,  Walter,  member  Wash- 
burn Party,  73,  81. 

Turban    Geyser,    296. 

Turbid    L!?ke,    215,   311. 

Turquoise   Spring,   293. 

Twin  Lakes,  285. 

Two-Ocean  Pass,  310. 

Tyndall,   John,   quoted,   211. 


Union  Geyser,  302, 
U.  S.  Geological  Survey,  explora- 
tions  of,  100. 
names  by,  in  Y.  N.  P.,  122,  129. 
organization  of,  122. 
Upper  Fall  of  the  Y.,  316. 
Upper  Geyser  Basin,  294  et  seq. 
Valleys  of  the  Y.  N.  P.,  183. 
Verendrye,    Chevalier    de    la,    ex- 
plorations  of,   3. 
Virginia  Cascade,   131,  286. 
Visitors  to  Y.  N.  P.  in  1883,  105. 
Washburn     Expedition     of     1870, 

history   of,    72   et    seq. 
Washburn,    General    H.    D.,    bio- 
graphical  sketch,   86. 
chief  of  Washburn  Expedition, 

72. 
quoted,    140. 
Washburn,    Mt.,    179,    327. 
ascent  of  described,  325  et  seq. 
an    extinct    volcano,    193. 
AVashburn  Range,  179. 
Water- fa  lis  of  Y.  N.  P.,  182,  342. 
Waters,   E.    C,   117. 
Wear,  D.  W.,  Fifth  Superintend- 
ent  Y.   N.   P.,   114. 
Wedded  Trees,  287. 
Weikert,      A.      J.,      member      of 
Helena  tourist  party,  142. 
experience  of,  with  Nez  Perees, 
164,  166. 
We-Saw,    Shoshone   Indian,    12. 
Willow  Park,  284. 
Winter  in   the  Y.    N.   P.,   259. 
Wyeth,  Nathaniel  J.,   33. 
Wylie  Camping  Co.,  116. 
Wyoming   Territory   attempta  to 

protect  Park,  112. 
"  Yancey's,"  333. 
"  Yellowstone,"    origin    of   name, 

1-5. 
Yellowstone  Forest  Reserve,  175. 
Yellowstone  Lake,  description  of, 
303. 
first  boat  on,  132. 
history   of,    199. 
overhead  sounds  near,  305. 
trout    in,    228.   230. 
Y'ellowstone   Lake   Boat   Co.,   117. 


INDEX. 


355 


Yellowstone  National  Park,  ad- 
ministration  of,   269. 

administrative  history  of,  107 
et   seq. 

area   of,   175. 

boundaries  of,  04,  175. 

climate  of,   189,   257. 

drainage  areas  of,  180. 

exploration   of,   101. 

extension  of,  177, 

fauna   of,    220. 

first  suggestion  of,  89  et  seq. 

tlora  of,  2.3.S. 

flowers  of,  246. 

forests  of,  237. 

geographical  names  in,  108,  121. 

geology  of,   190. 

historical   sketch  of,  328. 

lakes  of  the,  182. 


mountain   systems  of,   178. 
road    system    of,    117. 
scenery  of,   186. 
source    of    great    rivers    near, 

177. 
tr»ur  of,  273  et  seq. 
winter  in,   259. 
Yellowstone      Park     Association, 

115. 
Yellowstone    Park     Improvement 

Company,  110,  115. 
Yellowstone  Park  Trpnsportation 

Company,  116. 
Yellowstone  River,  ]*<>. 
flow  of,  181. 
source  of,  2,   180. 
Yount    Peak,    source    r»f    the    T. 
River,  2,  125. 


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